Meta employee fired after ‘child sex sting’ video goes viral

18 Feb, 2022 17:19 / Updated 3 years ago
The 35-year-old appeared to admit sending sexually explicit messages to someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy

Meta’s manager of community development, Jeren Miles, has been dismissed from his post, a spokesperson for the social media giant told the Daily Caller on Thursday, after video of Miles being interrogated by members of ‘Predator Catchers Indianapolis’ went viral.

Miles, who is 35 years old, is seen on video appearing to admit to having sent multiple sexually explicit messages to an individual he believed was a 13-year-old boy, even making plans to meet the teen at a hotel. “The seriousness of these allegations cannot be overstated,” the spokesperson said. 

While Miles initially told the ‘predator catchers’ he was just “flirting” and “talking” to ‘Cory’, the nonexistent boy, insisting he had no “intention of meeting up with him,” he later admits that he “gave information” and “a location” for the meet – the Le Meridien Columbus hotel in Ohio, where the architects of the sting interviewed him.

Clips from the full two-hour video of Miles being interrogated by the amateur predator catchers quickly went viral on social media. The former Meta exec has since deleted his profile pages on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

While he repeatedly tells his interviewers he has never felt attracted to young boys and says this is the “one time I’ve done this,” they accuse him of blatantly grooming the imaginary 13-year-old as they read Miles’ messages back to him in the hotel room. 

I won’t have any restraint around you if I’m horny,” one of the messages Miles admits to sending reads. When the predator catchers confront him with his own words, he insists it was just flirting.

‘Predator catcher’ Eric Schmutte, who filmed the encounter, reportedly told journalist Andy Ngo that he was sending all chat logs and other evidence related to the incident to authorities in both Columbus and Palm Springs, California – Miles’ home city.