Justin Perry
{{Infobox bio
| name = Justin Perry
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|33|2019|12|9}}
| years_active = 2018–present
| known_for = Vigilante activities
}}
{{Short description|American vigilante}}
Justin Perry, also known as Mr. 17540, is an American vigilante based in Pennsylvania.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-07-12 |title=Leola child-predator vigilante convicted of harassment; assault, imprisonment charges dropped |url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/leola-child-predator-vigilante-convicted-of-harassment-assault-imprisonment-charges-dropped/article_51d40a72-e350-11eb-bae4-b39bb7f27945.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=LancasterOnline |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2019-06-14 |title=Pennsylvania Vigilante Livestreams Confrontations With Suspected Child Predators In Ocean City |url=https://www.wboc.com/archive/pennsylvania-vigilante-livestreams-confrontations-with-suspected-child-predators-in-ocean-city/article_c117c71f-5a1f-535c-a4dc-572794f28d5e.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=WBOC TV |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=City |first=AMANDA AUBLE Press of Atlantic |date=2019-08-22 |title=Video vigilante talks about setting up sex offender in Atlantic City |url=https://richmond.com/news/national-world/article_abce7e44-2f25-5f8d-b7ba-dc1f4304f152.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Richmond Times-Dispatch |language=en}}
History
Perry began carrying out his vigilante activities in 2018.{{Cite web |last=Nephin |first=Dan |date=2019-12-09 |title=Leola vigilante poses as 15-year-old girl, confronts potential child predators on live video |url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/leola-vigilante-poses-as-15-year-old-girl-confronts-potential-child-predators-on-live-video/article_bdf512a6-14a2-11ea-a817-8f817be3b46f.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=LancasterOnline |language=en}} His operations consist of posing as a female teenager on the internet and setting up real life meetings with those who solicit him. The meetings are broadcast on social media. On multiple occasions, such operations have culminated into fights, and Perry's followers have been reported to hound his targets on social media after being made aware of their identities.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-02 |title=Leola man facing charges after domestic incident |url=https://www.fox43.com/article/news/crime/leola-man-facing-charges-after-causing-injuries-to-another-and-trying-to-stop-them-from-fleeing-during-dispute/521-25f415ea-ec27-43ce-bcaf-10b5db0a01c0 |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=fox43.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Czech |first=Ted |title=He poses as a teenage girl on the Internet to catch suspected pedophiles on Facebook live |url=https://www.ydr.com/story/news/crime/2019/02/05/vigilante-justice-central-pa-man-videos-catches-suspected-pedophiles-facebook-live-mr-17-5-40/2648295002/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=York Daily Record |language=en-US}}
He has used the online moniker Mr. 17540, a reference to the ZIP code of his hometown Leola.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-06-21 |title=Pa. man exposes pedophiles in OC |url=https://www.octodaydispatch.com/news/pa-man-exposes-pedophiles-in-oc/article_1cb424e6-943b-11e9-b4c3-cb2629175043.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=OC Today-Dispatch |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-08-14 |title=De Lancaster a AC para entrampar a presunto pedófilo |url=https://www.telemundo62.com/noticias/eeuu/hombre-pensilvania-captura-depredador-sexual-menores-scott-hart-atlantic-city/96057/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Telemundo 62 |language=es}} Perry has conducted about 36 sting operations up to December 2019.
Legal cases
Perry was convicted of harassment in September 2024. His female victim told police that Perry grabbed her and caused her to fall into a table, resulting in a laceration in the back of her head. The woman also said that he head-butted and blocked her from leaving the room multiple times. According to police reports, Perry fled the scene after another household member confronted him. As part of his plea bargain, his other charges of simple assault and false imprisonment were dropped. Perry has been convicted for theft and forgery.
Perry was charged with a crime related to child pornography in 2018. The incident came after his phone was examined by police following one of his sting operations in Lancaster. The charge was eventually dropped and his seized phone and computer were returned. The prosecutors declined to comment on the matter and described the case as an open investigation.{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Ashley |date=2018-08-03 |title=Lancaster vigilante helps with arrest, faces child pornography charges |url=https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/contests/lancaster-vigilante-helps-with-arrest-faces-child-pornography-charges/521-43068eb8-80f2-480e-808d-bb17b4bbe389 |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=fox43.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Blest |first=Lindsey |date=2018-09-14 |title=Police search phone, laptop of vigilante whose video led to man being charged with soliciting sex from 'girl' |url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/police-search-phone-laptop-of-vigilante-whose-video-led-to-man-being-charged-with-soliciting/article_63bc9856-b835-11e8-bb40-b37e528207d7.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=LancasterOnline |language=en}}