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Registered sex offender arrested after anonymous sting operation
James Matthew Carey, 43, was arrested at the Hillsdale Shopping Center after an anonymous group posing as a minor lured him to a meeting for lewd acts.
SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. - A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after an anonymous group conducted a private sting operation that led to his arrest at a San Mateo shopping mall.
Previous conviction
The backstory:
James Matthew Carey, 43, was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on Sunday and charged with two felonies in court on Monday. Carey, who is currently on the sex offender registry following a 2021 conviction for lewd acts with a child, allegedly traveled from his home in Pleasant Hill to meet someone he believed was a minor.
Sting operation
What we know:
The arrest was facilitated by an organization that poses as underage children to lure potential sexual predators. Members of the group contacted the San Mateo Police Department on Monday morning to report they had been engaging with Carey while pretending to be a minor. Using the suspect’s phone number and open-source data, the organization provided identifying information to authorities.
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San Mateo police used automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology to track Carey’s vehicle as it traveled from the East Bay toward the Hillsdale Shopping Center. Officers confirmed his identity using a photograph Carey had sent to the decoys and took him into custody inside the center without incident shortly after 1:00 p.m.
While the operation successfully removed a potential re-offender from the streets, both police and prosecutors expressed reservations about the methods used by the anonymous group.
What they're saying:
"We do not want anyone to place themselves in danger for the purposes of apprehending these potential predators," said Andrew Peek, Public Information Officer for the San Mateo Police Department. "If you put a person in a corner who may be looking at prison for the rest of their life, you have no idea what they are capable of."
Legal officials also noted that investigations handled by non-law enforcement entities can complicate prosecutions. Shin Mee Chang, Chief Deputy District Attorney for San Mateo County, stated that the office must ensure all evidence gathered is "admissible and fairly obtained."
Carey has been assigned an attorney whose name is expected to be announced Tuesday. Police have not released the identity of the anonymous group involved in the sting.
The Source: Interviews with San Mateo Police Department and San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.