Dustin Lampros, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and founder of 561 Predator Catchers, was involved in a sting operation that led to the arrest of Christian Walden, a 21-year-old student at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). According to a court report from Delray Beach Police, Lampros used a decoy posing as a 13-year-old boy to engage Walden in online conversations. The interactions began on the dating platform Grindr, where Walden allegedly arranged to meet the decoy at a Home Depot for sexual activity.
During the encounter on May 26, Lampros confronted Walden with questions about his intentions. Walden admitted to planning to meet a minor for sexual acts. Following the confrontation, Delray Beach Police arrested Walden, who was charged with traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act and using a communication device to facilitate a felony. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
Walden was serving in student government at FAU at the time of his arrest and was subsequently impeached by his peers. He had been involved in various leadership roles on campus and was studying public management. Legal experts noted that while civilian-led efforts to identify child predators are permissible in Florida, they cannot coordinate with law enforcement in advance, as that could lead to entrapment. Lampros is scheduled to compete in an MMA event on July 25.