An Atlantic City man accused of trying to meet a teen boy for sex is now hospitalized for an unknown reason.
Robert Catalano, 58, was set to have a detention hearing Thursday morning, but is no longer in the Atlantic County jail, the judge learned.
Catalano, who heads the Recovery Force of Atlantic County, allegedly connected with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy through the dating app Grindr and messenger application TextNow, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
But it was members of the Colorado Ped Patrol who went to his home in the 2400 block of Formica Way on Saturday.
The group came to the area collaborating with two other groups that hunt pedophiles online. That resulted in four arrests.
Catalano was found hiding behind bushes when they arrived, a source told BreakingAC.
He told the group on video that he has a sexual addiction that has nothing to do with children, the affidavit states. Catalano also said he doesn't know if he can control his addiction and knows he needs help.
The group's YouTube channel has not yet posted the footage they captured.
Catalano had offered to have the 14-year-old boy come to his home for a massage "that may have a 'happy ending,'" the affidavit states.
But Catalano claimed he was joking just to make the boy feel comfortable coming to his home so he could mentor him.
Defense attorney Mary Linehan told the judge she did not know why her client was hospitalized, and asked that the detention hearing be postponed to Friday, to see if they could get an update.
Robert Heinz, who was caught by the group in Pleasantville, was released Wednesday.
Two other men remain jailed on the same charges of child luring pending detention hearings.
