Alex Rosen

Last updated

Alex Rosen
NationalityAmerican
Other namesChet Goldstein, Gordon Flowers
Years active2019–present
OrganizationPredator Poachers
Known forVigilante stings

Alex Rosen (also known under his online aliases Chet Goldstein and Gordon Flowers) is the founder of Houston-based vigilante organization Predator Poachers, which conducts sting operations on adults who seek sexual activities with minors. By 2023, the organization has claimed responsibility for arrests in 46 U.S. states and convictions in 33, though this statistic has not been fully verified. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

Rosen founded Predator Poachers at the age of 19 in his hometown of Houston, Texas. [3] The operations conducted by the group generally follow the strategy of creating a fake account on a dating app, waiting for an adult to message the account and then quickly disclosing that the account in question belongs to an underage person. If the target continues to message the account, the chat is then usually followed by a staged, real-life meeting with the suspect. [4] [5] [6] "We drop our age immediately. We don't give them any doubts as to how old we are," Rosen stated in an interview with Fox 40. [7] The organization is funded by membership subscriptions and merchandise sales on its website. [4]

Most of Predator Poachers' operations take place on Grindr, an LGBT online dating application. Grindr became closely associated with Predator Poachers' brand on its YouTube channel, whose banner featured an illustration of a smartphone displaying a Grindr conversation. In an interview with The Verge , Rosen stated that the reason why "we use Grindr as number one is because... I didn't have pictures of underage girls on my phone," he told the organization. "I do have a little brother though, and I did have pictures of him on my phone." [4] Rosen told the Insider that, in a 2021 operation, he had used his 16-year-old cousin as a decoy, adding that he agreed that "it was very irresponsible." [8]

A 2020 article by Cincinnati CityBeat stated that, in many videos, Rosen seemed "to instigate fights, or use excessive profanity and derogatory terms", and that the language he had used on video resulted in his YouTube channel receiving two strikes. [9] The channel was later banned from the platform due to receiving multiple community guidelines strikes. Another channel he created on the platform was deleted in 2021. [8]

When asked about the opinion of law-enforcement officials who say that such matter should be left to police departments, Rosen said that "every single department is either going to say nothing or discourage it publicly, but we've seen that departments that discourage it publicly will work to prosecute our cases". Upon being interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the topic in 2019, some law-enforcement officers stated that the phenomenon of predator hunters can create a new form of mob justice and engineer chaotic situations that should be left to professionals. [10]

Incidents

On July 24, 2024, Rosen stated that a 60-year-old man had died by suicide after Rosen and his team accused him of viewing child pornography. According to court documents, the man, Donald Anthony Letcher had been previously accused of child molestation in the 1990s in a criminal case that was ultimately dismissed by the prosecution after the South Dakota Supreme Court overturned the man's conviction due to concerns regarding the credibility of the witnesses and another evidence-related issue that, the court stated, "severely prejudiced [his] ability to defend" himself. Rosen and his team were detained by police during the incident. [11]

Politics

Rosen has described himself as "very, very right-wing", as a Libertarian and as a Conservative. He runs a 450,000 followers account on X (formerly known as Twitter). [12] [1]

Confrontation with Peter Hotez

In June 2023, Rosen confronted COVID-19 expert Peter Hotez at home in Houston. The visit happened after Hotez declined to debate Democratic presidential candidate and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. During the encounter, which happened at the sidewalk of Hotez's home, Rosen asked Hotez why he had refused to debate Kennedy and whether he believed in "vaccine injuries". Hotez responded that he was still considering debating Kennedy and said "don't come to my house" before going back inside. Later that day, Hotez stated on social media that he was "stalked in front of my home by a couple of antivaxers taunting me to debate RFK Jr." [12] [13]

Statements about LGBT people

Rosen has made negative statements against LGBT and transgender people. According to Texas Observer reporter Steven Monacelli, Rosen has described the LGBT community as a "cult". [2] In a social-media post published prior to March 2020, Rosen called his followers to help cancel a drag queen story hour event at an Idaho library. "I don't think that shit needs to be around kids, because kids are kids. They can't decide what their preferences are at that young age," he stated when asked about the post. [4]

Use of racial slurs

Rosen has repeatedly used racist epithets at the men that he meets in his sting operations. [4] In 2019, Rosen used a racial slur on video, an event that he later confirmed in a 2023 interview with the Evansville Courier & Press. In the interview, in which the news organization asked him about his previous use of racial slurs, Rosen stated that he is Jewish and that "I said it, but I'm not apologizing for it. Because, you know, people say that word has power. I mean, I don't think making Holocaust or Jew jokes has any power." [14]

Rosen has said the n-word in multiple YouTube videos and livestreams. In a prank call to a Black Lives Matter hotline, he used multiple homophobic and racist slurs. Rosen stated in an interview that "it obviously looks bad" and that he had "no hatred in my heart towards any group of people". [8]

Mock petition against H-1B visas

Amid an early 2025 anti-immigration backlash against Indian H-1B workers in the United States, Rosen published a video on X in which he visited Indian-owned shops and urged ethnic Indians to sign a mock petition to stop "the spread of the H-1B virus." Rosen stated on social media that the metaphorical virus "originated from India" and its "symptoms" included "smell" and "diarrhea", adding that it was the "deadliest virus" in the country. The video garnered over a million views and was described as racist by many users on the platform, although other users supported Rosen's actions. [15] [16] [17]

Activism at public events

Previously, in June 2022, Rosen published a video of himself confronting Republican representative Dan Crenshaw at the Texas State Republican Convention, calling him a "World Economic Forum sell-out", until being stopped by security. [12] [18] [19] [20] In October of the same year, Rosen posted a video where Harris County officers told him that he had been banned from the Harris County Commissioners Court for being "disruptive". [12]

In October 2023, Rosen heckled 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a Houston rally and accused her husband, Bill Clinton, of having visited Jeffrey Epstein's island "26 times". He was subsequently dragged out of the event by security. [21] [22] [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perverted-Justice</span> Former anti-child porn group in California and Oregon, US

Perverted Justice Foundation, Inc., more commonly known as Perverted-Justice, was an American organization based in California and Oregon which investigated, identified, and publicized the conduct of adults who have used chat rooms and other social media in order to solicit online sexual conversations and in-person meetings with minors. Their website serves as an archive of collected data on these investigations, which they make available in order to assist law enforcement and the public in understanding the behavior and child grooming techniques of online hebephiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Offit</span> American pediatric immunologist

Paul Allan Offit is an American pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, vaccines, immunology, and virology. He is the co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine. Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology, professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, former chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases (1992–2014), and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul D. Thacker</span> American journalist

Paul D. Thacker is an American journalist who reports on science, medicine, and the environment. He was a lead investigator of the United States Senate Committee on Finance for Senator Chuck Grassley, where he examined financial links between physicians and pharmaceutical companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-pedophile activism</span> Form of activism

Anti-pedophile activism encompasses social actions against pedophiles. It also includes acts of anti-pedophile citizen vigilantism conducted by vigilante groups, some of which have operated alongside government agencies in countries such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Kirchick</span> American journalist (born 1983)

James Kirchick is an American reporter, foreign correspondent, author, and columnist. He has been described as a conservative or neoconservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Hotez</span> American scientist, pediatrician, and advocate

Peter Jay Hotez is an American scientist, pediatrician, and advocate in the fields of global health, vaccinology, and neglected tropical disease control. He serves as founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he is also Director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics. He also serves as a University Professor of Biology at Baylor University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project Veritas</span> American far-right disinformation group (2010–2023)

Project Veritas is an American far-right activist group founded by James O'Keefe in 2010. The group produced deceptively edited videos of its undercover operations, which use secret recordings in an effort to discredit mainstream media organizations and progressive groups. Project Veritas also used entrapment to generate bad publicity for its targets, and propagated disinformation and conspiracy theories in its videos and operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitaly Zdorovetskiy</span> Russian-American comedian and YouTuber

Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, better known by his YouTube username VitalyzdTv, is a Russian-American YouTuber and internet content creator. He is known for his YouTube pranks and publicity stunts, some of which have culminated in him being arrested.

Marc K. Siegel is an American physician, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, author, and contributor to The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Fox News, and member of the board of contributors at USA Today. He is the medical director of NYU's Doctor Radio on Sirius XM.

<i>Hillarys America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party</i> 2016 American film

Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party is a 2016 American political documentary film about 2016 American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and a critique of the Democratic Party. The film is written and directed by conservative political commentator Dinesh D'Souza and Bruce Schooley. The film had a limited release on July 15, 2016, before a wide release on July 22, 2016, and accompanies a book by D'Souza by the same name.

Texans for Vaccine Choice (TFVC) is an anti-vaccine Facebook group turned political action committee in Texas which advocates for personal belief exemptions to vaccination requirements, based on "a collection of fake news, half- truths, and conspiracy theories". Andrew Wakefield, the disgraced former medical researcher and originator of the MMR autism hoax, and infectious disease specialist Peter Hotez, both describe TFVC's lobbying as very effective, with the rate of Texas students opting out of at least one vaccine at least doubling in around five years and over 50,000 Texas schoolchildren not being vaccinated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Crenshaw</span> American politician (born 1984)

Daniel Reed Crenshaw is an American politician and former United States Navy SEAL officer serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 2nd congressional district since 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Children's Health Defense (CHD) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit activist group mainly known for anti-vaccine misinformation, and which has been called one of the main sources of misinformation on vaccines. Founded by filmmaker Eric Gladen under the name World Mercury Project in 2007, it was chaired by lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from 2015 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Racial prejudice as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic was first reported in the city of Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019. The origins of the virus have subsequently led to an increase in acts and displays of sinophobia, as well as prejudice, xenophobia, discrimination, violence, and racism against people of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent and appearance around the world. With the spread of the pandemic and formation of hotspots, such as those in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, discrimination against people from these hotspots has been reported.

TruNews is an American far-right fake news website and channel owned and hosted by Rick Wiles. TruNews frequently publishes conspiracy theories in addition to racist, anti-LGBT, antisemitic, and Islamophobic content. It has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corbevax</span> Protein subunit vaccine against COVID-19

Corbevax is a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine developed by Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and Dynavax technologies based in Emeryville, California. It is licensed to Indian biopharmaceutical firm Biological E. Limited (BioE) for development and production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy</span> Misinformation regarding the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and the resulting hesitancy towards it

In many countries a variety of unfounded conspiracy theories and other misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines have spread based on misunderstood or misrepresented science, religion, and law. These have included exaggerated claims about side effects, misrepresentations about how the immune system works and when and how COVID-19 vaccines are made, a story about COVID-19 being spread by 5G, and other false or distorted information. This misinformation, some created by anti-vaccination activists, has proliferated and may have made many people averse to vaccination. Critics of vaccine mandates have argued that such requirements infringe on individual medical choice and personal autonomy. This has led to governments and private organizations around the world introducing measures to incentivize or coerce vaccination, such as lotteries, mandates, and free entry to events, which has in turn led to further misinformation about the legality and effect of these measures themselves. These measures, while intended to increase vaccination rates, have themselves been criticized for their impact on personal freedoms, further fueling debate about their legality and effectiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IndoVac</span> Vaccine against COVID-19

IndoVac is a recombinant protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Indonesian pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. It is the world's first officially halal certified COVID-19 vaccine, but the most popular existing vaccines had already been widely endorsed as Halal by various Islamic groups. The vaccine was officially launched by President Joko Widodo on 13 October 2022.

Bill Conradt, an American local assistant district attorney in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, killed himself on Sunday, November 5, 2006, when Texas police served him with search and arrest warrants stemming from a Dateline NBC – Perverted-Justice online sting of men soliciting sex with children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dads Against Predators</span> American vigilante group

Dads Against Predators (DAP) is an American vigilante group led by Joshua Mundy and Jay Cameron Carnicom. The group was founded in 2020 and is based in the state of Ohio, although they have operated in several states. Its operations have been described by police as often culminating into physical violence, for which reason the group had been banned from multiple Ohio stores.

References

  1. 1 2 AOL Staff (December 20, 2023). "Texas-based 'predator poachers' confronted an Evansville man, drawing prosecutor's ire". AOL . Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Harwood, Houston (December 2023). "Here's what happened when the 'Predator Poachers' came to Evansville". Courier Press. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  3. "A YouTuber with 2 Million Subscribers Was Accused of Messaging a Fake 13-Year-Old in a Vigilante Sting Operation". Yahoo News. April 23, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Haasch, Palmer (March 18, 2020). "Viral vigilantes are turning YouTube and TikTok into a weapon". The Verge . Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  5. Wymer, Garrett (May 26, 2022). "WKYT Investigates Vigilante justice". WKYT . Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  6. Waterman, Cole (May 13, 2022). "Man, 61, charged with accosting children after sting by YouTube vigilante in mall". M Live. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  7. Nguyen, Jeannie (December 7, 2021). "Vigilante 'Predator Poachers' come to Sacramento". FOX 40 . Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Asarch, Steven. "A predator hunting YouTuber and a man seemingly caught in a sting both had their channels removed by the platform". Business Insider. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  9. Opera, Mark. "Amateur Predator Catcher Groups Are Sprouting Up Across Ohio Armed With Cell Phones, Not Badges". Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  10. Heffernan, Erin (August 2, 2023). "Filmed 'Predator Poacher' sting leads to enticement charges against Villa Ridge couple". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  11. C., Manthan (July 25, 2024). "South Dakota Man Allegedly Kills Self After Predator Hunting Group Accuses Him of Watching Child Pornography". International Business Times . Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Munce, Megan Fan (June 19, 2023). "COVID-19 expert Peter Hotez harassed outside his home by anti-vaccine advocates". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  13. Maruf, Ramishah (June 19, 2023). "A Prominent Vaccine Scientist Says He Was 'Stalked' in Front of Home after Joe Rogan Twitter Exchange". CNN. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  14. Harwood, Houston (December 2023). "Here's what happened when the 'Predator Poachers' came to Evansville". Evansville Courier & Press .
  15. "'Stop the spread of H-1B virus, a US man on X: Watch the viral video here". The Indian Express. January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  16. "WATCH-'Stop spreading H-1B virus': Racist US influencer against H-1B visa makes Indians sign bizarre petition". Business Today. January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  17. "US Man Asks Indian Immigrants To Sign Anti 'H-1B Virus' Petition; Netizens Divided | Watch Viral Video". English Jagran. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  18. Joyce, Kathryn (June 22, 2022). "Lone Star hate: Right-wing activists in Texas drive a new wave of anti-LGBTQ bigotry". Salon . Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  19. Howe, Caleb (June 18, 2022). "Dan Crenshaw, Staff Physically Attacked by Group Shouting 'Eyepatch McCain' at GOP Event". Mediaite. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  20. Landen, Xander (June 18, 2022). "Dan Crenshaw Confronted by Angry Republicans Calling Him 'Globalist RINO'". Newsweek. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  21. "Who Is Alex Rosen? Man Thrown Out Of Hillary Clinton's Rally For Yelling 'Jeffrey Espstein'". TimesNow. October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  22. "Video: Man dragged out of Hillary rally after question on Bill Clinton's visit to Epstein's island". WION . October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  23. "'Crazed' man forcibly removed from Hillary Clinton event over Bill's Epstein island visits". The Economic Times. October 30, 2023. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved October 30, 2023.