Port Charlotte man caught at park after teens set up child predator sting

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WINK)—A man in Charlotte County is behind bars, accused of traveling to meet a minor.

It happened at Larry Taylor Kiwanis Park in Port Charlotte. Deputies say the arrest came after an apparent setup by a group of teenagers.

Investigators say 20-year-old William Downs thought he was talking to a 13-year-old girl online while actually messaging a teenage boy. Deputies say Downs showed up at the park with a tarp and condoms in hand.

The moment he arrived, the teens called 911. Downs was arrested nearby.

Investigators say he used Snapchat to send explicit messages to the accounts, while the teens involved believed they were acting as vigilantes to catch a child predator.

A year ago, another 20-year-old man was arrested at the same park for allegedly using Snapchat to lure three teenage girls and allegedly assaulted one of them.

Downs is currently facing one count of traveling to meet a minor.