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Atlantic City man jailed after 'boy' he messaged turned out to be predator hunters

Bruce Cahan was arrested inside his Atlantic City home.

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An Atlantic City man was led from his apartment in handcuffs after a 15-year-old boy he allegedly invited over for cocktails turned out to be two YouTubers who hunt child predators online.

Bruce Cahan, 77, insisted he was just an older gay man looking to mentor the teen when he invited him to his Ocean Club apartment.

"I was trying to protect whoever you were," he told Cameron Decker, who showed up at his door instead of the 15-year-old he thought he had been talking to on Grindr.

Decker was later joined by Shafiq Blake. Both men run YouTube channels that show the results of their mission to find child predators and turn over evidence to police.

"I thought he needed someone to talk to because, when I was his age I didn't have anyone to talk to and that was like the dark ages," Cahan explains to the pair as they sit and talk at his table. "I wasn't up to anything bad."

But the men wonder how that's true when one of Cahan's questions for the "teen boy" was, "How big is it?"

"I always, for some reason, ask everybody how big," Cahan replies.

He also requested nudes and sent two himself, according to the affidavit obtained by BreakingAC.

At one point, Decker asks if Blake looks familiar to him. Decker then says the older man previously hit up a profile where Shafiq's picture was used as a decoy for a teen.

"You blocked him when he didn't send nudes," Decker tells him, explaining that's why a picture was sent this time.

"I'm fascinated to be honest with you," Cahan tells them of the work the two men say they do.

Decker posts to his channel MrWEB, while Blake runs Predator Catchers PA.

"This is odd," Cahan says. "How often do you do this?"

The three sit around a table, drinking water and sodas offered by Cahan. Eventually, there's a knock on the door.

"We ordered pizza on the way here," Decker tells Cahan.

But when the door opens, it's two Atlantic City police officers.

The officer eventually handcuff Cahan and lead him out of his home.

Cahan had his first appearance Thursday before Judge John Rosenberger, who told him the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office has filed to have him detained under bail reform.

That hearing is set for Tuesday.

Attorney Rochelle Rozier explained to him that someone is trying to obtained private counsel for him, but until that would happen, he will be represented by the Public Defenders Office.

"I stay here now?" Cahan asked at the end of the brief appearance.

"Yes, until at least next Tuesday," Rosenberger replies.

Cahan's Facebook page warned his friends that he wouldn't be around for a while in a post Friday morning.

"I am traveling and unable to access the Internet while I'm away," the post states. "When I have Internet access again, I'll be back!"

It garnered more than 100 comments, with friends wishing him fun on his journey.

OTHER 'CATCHES' BY DECKER AND BLAKE

Thursday, April 25, 2024
STEWARTVILLE
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