The leader of the controversial Surrey Creep Catchers vigilante group was arrested Wednesday night after a judge found him in contempt of court.
Police located Ryan Laforge while responding to reports that two men were chasing someone through a Surrey mall. His fellow Creep Catchers shared video of his arrest on Facebook showing Laforge in handcuffs as officers load him into the back of their SUV.
"This is what happens when you try to protect kids from predators in Canada," wrote Chris Condurant, who uploaded the clip.
Laforge had been taking part in one of the Creep Catchers' stings, which usually involve luring adults into public places by pretending to be underage girls then confronting them on camera – a practice police have repeatedly insisted can hamper their legitimate investigations into sex crimes.
But his arrest had nothing to do with the sting. Laforge was wanted on a warrant from B.C. Supreme Court, where he's being sued by two men for defamation.
"We did arrest one member of a vigilante group for an outstanding warrant that originated out of the Chilliwack registry," Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann said. "That warrant stated that a person may have committed contempt of court."
A judge has already ordered Laforge to delete online posts referencing the men, including a YouTube video that remained easy to find on Thursday.
It's unclear what will happen if Laforge continues to refuse the judge's order. Members of Surrey Creep Catchers have shared dozens of similar clips online, and what happens in the case could set a precedent for others who want their videos deleted.
The men suing Laforge both claim they were falsely accused.
The Chilliwack judge's order is separate from another made by the B.C. Privacy Commissioner in July, who demanded that Surrey Creep Catchers destroy two videos where individuals the vigilantes targeted appear to be innocent.
Laforge, who is a hero to many people in Metro Vancouver for his efforts, has had run-ins with police before, and is currently facing charges of assault and uttering threats in connection with a violent confrontation at a Surrey mall in the spring.
In the video of his latest arrest, someone behind the camera asks Laforge, "Do you want me to post this?" as he's being placed into the police vehicle. "Yeah," Laforge replies.
His arrest has since been used to drum up support for Surrey Creep Catchers on social media and to direct people to the group's Christmas fundraiser, which follows at least one other event held earlier this year to raise money for the vigilantes.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure and David Molko
