“So my intentions, I’m gonna be blunt about this, is to help people.” Devin Fernandez

Summary

Podcast Summary: Have A Seat with Chris Hansen

Episode: “So my intentions, I’m gonna be blunt about this, is to help people.” – Devin Fernandez
Date: June 1, 2026
Host: Chris Hansen

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Hansen revisits one of the most disturbing cases from his sting operations—Devin Fernandez, a 23-year-old former corrections officer caught attempting to meet and groom a 14-year-old girl for sex. Hansen dives deep into the background, investigation, and aftermath of the arrest, spotlighting false justification tactics used by offenders and the legal nuances in sentencing. As always, the show closes with listener questions, this time focusing on how to protect your family living near a registered sex offender.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sentencing Disparities in Sting Cases

• Hansen reflects on the variability of legal sentencing in predator cases depending on jurisdiction and the impact of plea bargains.
• Contrast between two recent cases:
  • Joseph O’Rourke (went to trial, found guilty by jury) received 15 years in prison.
  • Devin Fernandez (pleaded guilty, accepted responsibility) received 4 years in prison, 4 years probation, and registry as a sex offender.
• Quote:

  “Devin ended up getting four years in prison, four years probation and registration as a sex offender. Why? Well, simply put, Devin Fernandez pleaded guilty. He accepted responsibility. So he's going to be free nine years earlier than Joseph O’Rourke who was caught in the same sting operation.” – Chris Hansen [03:55]

2. Background: Devin Fernandez

• Corrections Officer Turned Offender:
  • At arrest, Fernandez had previously worked for over a year as a corrections officer at the Central Florida Reception Center.
  • Was “forced to resign” due to chronic lateness (per Fernandez); Hansen speculates there may have been deeper issues.
  • Irony and concern:

    “So here we have a guy who was working at a jail and now he's in a prison. I wonder how that's going over for Devin right about now.” – Chris Hansen [05:30]

3. The Grooming Attempts & Sting Operation

• Initial Contact:
  • Fernandez connects with "Andrea" (decoy, 14 years old) on a chat app.
  • Compliments, quickly escalates to suggestive conversation.
  • Explicit acknowledgment and encouragement despite knowing her age:

    “Girl, I'm okay. As long as you're chill. I'll be chill. ... Even if I'm 14. Okay? Yes.” [07:00]

  • Offers to take the girl shopping after sex—classic grooming tactic.
• Explicit Chat Examples:

  “Do you want to have your first time at all? Only asking, of course. With a nice guy. ... I will make you a no virgin today. Not the most eloquent guy. And I'll take you on a mall shopping once it is done...” – Chris Hansen quoting Devin [08:20]

4. The Bust

• Devin drives over an hour to the meetup location, a gas station.
• Arrested without resistance; shows signs of law enforcement awareness.
• Brought to the station, writes a letter of apology, believing that will end the ordeal.

5. The ‘Helper’ Defense – Gaslighting & Deflection

• Hansen confronts Fernandez; Fernandez claims:
  • His “intentions were to help”—twists his former CO training ethos.

  “So my intentions and to be bl[unt] about this is to help people to help handle ... I'm not here to meet anyone under age. I know that this is wrong, but my ... supervisors ... always have to try to help ...” – Devin Fernandez [16:05]

  • Asserts that engaging with an underage girl was an attempt to teach her not to be online.
• Double-Talk and Minimizing:

  “I don't like the people I catch in my investigations? The predators?... I'm not a predator.” – Chris Hansen and Devin Fernandez [18:22] “You came tonight to tell this girl she shouldn’t be online?” – Chris Hansen [18:41]

• Repeatedly denies being a predator, despite clear evidence and admissions.

6. Hansen’s No-Nonsense Rebuttals

• Hansen dismantles the “helper” narrative, reading back transcripts, and honing in on the stark reality of the situation.
• Quote:

  “You’re a grown ass man and you’re diddling around here trying to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. And I don’t see any other way to put it.” – Chris Hansen [27:22]

  • Fernandez repeatedly minimizes or deflects, wishing to just pay a fine and “move on.”
• Memorable Response:

  “We're a long way from being even, Devin.” – Chris Hansen [29:23]

7. The Legal Outcome

• On May 21, 2026, a guilty plea:
  • Charge: Traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child.
  • Other counts dismissed as part of plea.
  • Sentence: 4 years prison, 4 years probation, sex offender registration.
• Background Check Segment:
  • Hansen uses Truthfinder to confirm Fernandez had no prior criminal record and lived near multiple sex offenders.
  • “Devin Fernandez ... has never been arrested or charged with a felony prior to his arrest in this case...” – Chris Hansen [31:10]

---

Listener Q&A: Protecting Kids and Communities

[33:38 – 39:00]

• Caller “Sean” from Albany, NY shares his concern about living near a convicted sex offender and seeks advice on family safety, community notification, and when/how to warn young children.
• Hansen’s Advice:
  • Use public records and Truthfinder to stay informed.
  • Open conversations about “stranger danger” starting at an early age—avoid specifics with very young kids, focus on safe behaviors.
  • Supervise play, watch neighbors’ behavior, and promptly report suspicious activity.
  • “No one should have to live near somebody on the sexual offender registration list, but at least there is a list, so we know where they are... Parents can have this discussion with children. Parents can be vigilant.” – Chris Hansen [38:51]
  • Advocates for balanced vigilance—no vigilantism, but proactive awareness.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Can I just give you some money? I don't want money. I want the truth.” – Chris Hansen, re-enacting classic stings [00:45]
• “I feel like my job in my life is to help someone ... That makes me feel good and that just makes me feel good. It makes me happy.” – Devin Fernandez [16:54]
• “If you were me, what would you think? ... If you were sitting in this chair and not in that chair, what would you think?” – Chris Hansen [26:41]
• “He is sorry. I think he's mostly sorry he got caught.” – Chris Hansen [29:08]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] – Sentencing disparities discussion
• [06:27] – Details of Fernandez’s online grooming chat
• [12:22] – Fernandez drives to the meetup; setup and arrest
• [14:29] – “Helper” defense, interrogation with Chris Hansen
• [17:00] – Fernandez’s self-justification and minimization
• [23:12] – Clear admission of intent, discussion of bringing a condom
• [26:41] – Hansen challenges Fernandez with pointed questions
• [29:08] – Fernandez apologizes, claims remorse
• [31:10] – Legal outcome, background check results
• [33:38] – Listener Q&A: How to keep families safe living near sex offenders

---

Conclusion

This episode offers a disturbing yet revealing look into the mind of a predator, the tactics used for justification, and the broader challenges in sentencing, policing, and protecting communities. Chris Hansen combines uncompromising confrontation with practical advice for the public, making the episode essential listening for those seeking insight into both the personal and societal impact of child exploitation and how to stay vigilant.

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For more information:

• Submit questions or tips: [e-mail]
• Access sex offender information: truthfinder.com/predators
• Follow Chris Hansen on social media and watch new investigations on True Blue.

---

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

I've confronted hundreds of men over two decades, men online, looking for children to sexually assault Cody. I'm Chris Hansen. I know who you are. I tried to get into their heads and understand why, but you have it on your phone.

[C]

That's true.

[B]

And ultimately make sure they face justice. Can I just give you some money? I need. I don't want money. I want the truth. These are are the predators I've caught. I'm Chris Hansen. One of the things that fascinates me most in the aftermath of the cases against the predators I've caught is the sentence. What goes into it, the judge's decision, the prosecutor's agreement. Because there is no live victim in a sting operation, there is no victim impact statement. Now, we know intellectually that we have saved a child from being preyed upon because we know that had this predator not been caught in the sting, there is a very high likelihood that that person would have offended in real life. But the crime is taken very seriously. I remember in the beginning we did a sting in California and was shocked at the light sentences. And I think some of the judges in one particular area of California at the time, specifically in Long Beach, California, looked at it as a sure, a crime, but it was more of a reality TV show. In fact, the folks with the online watchdog group Perverted justice who helped us in those early investigations called the sentencings the Long Beach Specials. Still, occasionally I'm surprised at a light sentence, especially in Genesee County. And I understand the reasoning behind a plea bargain. A plea bargain is a successful conviction. The Genesee county prosecutor's office is busy. Homicides, real life victims. They're more apt to accept a plea agreement in which the defendant, if they are a first time offender and there is no possession of child pornography, sees him. They're more likely to sign off on a plea agreement where there is probation, registration as a sex offender for a limited time or not ideal. But I Understand it. But even in Florida, where the sentences tend to be more robust, as they are in most other places in the country where we work, it's interesting to see the differences in sentencing. I'll give you an example. In our last episode, we talked about Joseph o'. Rourke. Now, Joseph decided to go to trial, present his case along with his lawyer to a jury of his peers. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in Florida State Prison. This week we're going to take a look at Devin Fernandez, an interesting case on many different levels. Devin, as you recall, was also arrested like Joseph during our Marion County, Florida sting, which took place just about a year ago in July of 2025. You may recall that 41 men were arrested in six days in Marion County. They do one sting a year. Typically they do these investigations year round. But in terms of a massive sting with multiple agencies, they do one a year and they, they change the time frame around. Now, Joseph O', Rourke, as I mentioned, at 15 years, Devin Fernandez, who was caught for an equally disturbing crime, attempting to groom, meet and have sex with a 14 year old girl. Devin ended up getting four years in prison, four years probation and registration as a sex offender. Why? Well, simply put, Devin Fernandez pleaded guilty. He accepted responsibility. So he's going to be free nine years earlier than Joseph o' Rourke who was caught in the same sting operation. The facts of the cases are pretty close. Very offensive, very frightening. And there's something else about Devin Fernandez you need to know, and that is he was a corrections officer right before he surfaced in our investigation. That's right. Devin was 23 when he was arrested and prior to that he had been for some time a corrections officer in Florida, a prison guard, essentially. So here we have a guy who was working at a jail and now he's in a prison. I wonder how that's going over for Devin right about now. Let's take a look at Devin's case. Like the 40 other fellows arrested in Marion county in July of 2025, Devin was prowling the Internet looking for company when he came across a 14 year old girl named Andrea. Oh, he was a groomer all right.

[D]

Hi.

[B]

Hey, it's Devin from Hilly. That's the app or the nickname for the app. Now, Devin lives in Orlando, which is about an hour away from where we're conducting the sting. The detective posing as the 14 year old girl says, hi Devin. Devin says, so when you available to go on a date, I got a restaurant in mind. How's your day? Also, I love your hair. Later in the conversation, the decoy posing as the 14 year old girl references high school. Hopefully that's better than the middle school she currently attends. Devin says, if you want to, I can kiss you if I can. If not, I'm cool. I'm sorry if I'm coming off blunt. Teach me, says the detective posing as the girl. Sure, I guess. But again, I'm not teacher. But I'll be your tutor. Lol. Sounds good, says the detective. Please do not be surprised when you see me. Okay? Bet you want me to come. I won't. Why would I be surprised? Because I'm not really 18. How old are you? I didn't want you to be upset with me. Devin says, girl, I'm okay. As long as you're chill. I'll be chill. You're a nice guy. I like everything you said about treating someone like me, even if I'm 14. Okay? Yes. Now see, in a lot of these chat platforms, dating sites, you're supposed to be 18. So as children do, sometimes they falsely post that they're of age to get on the site. Check it out. But in all cases during our stings, it's made very clear that the predator is actually talking to someone who's underage. In this case, 14. She says it, even if I'm 14. Okay, yes. Thank you. You are truly awesome. Says the detective posing as the child. And here, just to, you know, drive the point home, Devin says, do you want to have your first time at all? Only asking, of course. With a nice guy. I heard it hurts. I don't need someone aggressive. Devin says, look, I'm serious. Are you 14? And you won't tell anyone? Just yourself. Now, not only does he acknowledge the age, he doesn't want the girl to share the fact that the two would get together and be intimate, because he knows that would be illegal. No cops, he says, I will make you a no virgin today. Not the most eloquent guy. And I'll take you on a mall shopping once it is done, like tomorrow, whenever you decide, just let me know.

[C]

But yeah.

[B]

So this is bothersome because not only is he trying to exploit a child sexually, he's inducing a child to do so by offering to take her shopping. That's called grooming. More about this predator I've caught in a moment. If you're a homeowner in America, you need to listen to this. The FBI has been warning about a type of real estate fraud on the rise called title theft. And your equity is the target. Here's how it works. Criminals forge your signature on a single document, use a fake notary stamp and file it with the county. And just like that, on record. They own your home. Using your ownership. They can take out loans against your equity or even sell your property right out from under you. And you won't know it until foreclosure or collection notices show up in the mail. That's why I've partnered with Home Title Lock. So you can protect your equity. And find out today if you're already a victim. Use my promo code Hansen H a N S e [e-mail] and you'll get a free title history report and a free trial of their million dollar triple lock protection. That's 24,7 monitoring of your title records, urgent alerts to any changes and and if fraud occurs, their US based restoration team will spend up to $1 million to fix it. That's right. Don't be a victim. Protect your Equity Today. That's hometitleock.com, promo code HANSEN H A N S E N or use the link below. I'll be watching. It's finally here.

[E]

Oh my God.

[A]

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[B]

Then he asks, do you have your favorite bra and panties on? They talk about meeting. She says, purple bra. I love purple. Okay, you want to fuck in the bathroom? He's talking about the racetrack, gas station they're going to meet at. Or in the car. Car is bad, he says, but open space is good. So he's gonna go find this 14 year old girl, or so he says. So it appears. Have sex with her and then maybe take her to the mall shopping. So what happens? Well, after this conversation, Devin gets in his car and drives from Orlando a little more than an hour to the meat location in Marion county. But there's no 14 year old girl waiting for Devin. Just me and the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Devin and the detective playing the 14 year old girl Plan to meet up at a local gas station. So my crew and the arrest team head to the rendezvous point and wait for his arrival. Devin is spotted. And is immediately taken into custody. Devin doesn't resist. He presumably had some sort of law enforcement training as a corrections officer.

[C]

Nope.

[B]

Bring your knees up, your chest going straight forward. Ready?

[E]

One, two. I wasn't trying to come here. I. I was just playing a lot of things.

[B]

And he starts with the excuses. Devon is one of those passive aggressive guys, wants to admit he was wrong and stupid and shouldn't have done what he did, but wasn't going to do anything, he says. He tries to convince me later that he's a helpful guy, a helper.

[E]

No, that was the case. I really didn't want to do that. I promise.

[B]

He's taken back to the sheriff's office where he's asked to write a letter to the 14 year old girl he was coming to meet. Devin looks to be done with his apology note. Devin is offered the chance to write an apology letter to the 14, 14 year old girl he was supposedly going to meet. He does that and I think in his mind, he thinks that's it. Maybe he's going to be through with this unfortunate uncomfortable situation and maybe he'll get in his car and drive back to Orlando. But no. Devin's night is a long way from being over. In fact, I'm about to ask him several questions of my own. Hey, Devin, how you doing? Oh my God, what's that?

[E]

Call me the camera. Sorry, I'm fine.

[B]

You're fine? Okay, good. Ultimately, he says he's cool with my cameras being there. Hey, so explain to me, Devin, how this happened tonight. How did you get into this jam?

[E]

What is your name?

[B]

My name is Chris Hanson. Devin doesn't recognize me immediately, but once I say my name, his eyeballs pop out of his head practically. He's seen my shows in the past.

[E]

Wow. Master in the Malachi, right here. Am I seeing anything?

[B]

Yeah, nice to see him. And Devin the helper is going to explain his situation to me now since he's going to be blocked.

[E]

So my intentions and to be bl about this is to help people to help handle not ever like especially cameras. I'm not here to meet anyone on the age. I know that this is wrong, but my. I've been told by my CEOs that my supervisors that excuse me that you always have to try to help me for you and not helping me.

[B]

You always need to help people. I've been told by my cos his correction officer supervisors. Now he's going to pretend for a minute like he's still on the job, which he's not, that he should always be helpful. And while that may be true, the help he was trying to provide this evening was not the kind he's referring to.

[E]

Like, I, I feel like my job in my life is to help someone.

[B]

Right, that's your life mission, is to help people?

[E]

Yes. And for me, I feel like I need to help someone. Right. I need that because that makes me feel good and that just makes me feel good. It makes me happy.

[B]

Right. But it sounds like what was going to make Devin feel good to be happy on this evening was to have sex with a 14 year old girl to take her virginity, then take her shopping. He's less excited to discuss all that. Okay, so if you feel good, you're happy and what makes you feel good is to help people.

[E]

Yes, that's right.

[B]

And that's what you were trying to do tonight?

[E]

I was trying to help her.

[B]

Who were you trying to help tonight?

[E]

Excuse me? The girl named Andrea.

[B]

Andrea. And how old is Andrea?

[E]

She said on the bio it said it was 18.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And how old did she tell you she was?

[E]

14.

[B]

14, okay. Then he tries to point out the differences in his mind between himself and what he did tonight and the men he sees in my stories, my video.

[E]

I don't like people, especially with them. Like I've seen your videos.

[B]

You've seen my stories before?

[E]

Yes. Where it's like really bad people, where they come into the house and shake pizza. I don't like those people. Those people are so.

[B]

You don't like the people I catch in my investigations? The predators?

[E]

I'm not that predator.

[B]

You're not a predator?

[E]

I really, I don't like to be classified as one. And I'm not a predator, period. I feel like I need to help some people, like get their mind straight. Especially young people say like, hey, this is like not something that you're supposed to be doing.

[B]

Right. So you came tonight to tell this girl she shouldn't be online?

[E]

Yeah, I'm.

[B]

I wasn't having a chat with somebody who's older.

[E]

Yes. Because I.

[B]

About sex.

[E]

Yes. Especially with people. And especially like me.

[B]

Yeah, especially like you, Devin, because I think we know based upon the chat, based upon the fact you showed up, based upon the fact that you brought a condom, what your true intentions are

[E]

here, that have had girlfriends and have really had relationships before.

[B]

You've had girlfriends? You've had relations?

[E]

Yes, I have. I had Those relations before. And I feel like people, especially at a young age, should not be on dating apps because that's something that us as adults will do.

[B]

Right. Also, there's something else you need to know, and that is Devin, during the chat, tried to convince the girl that he was a virgin as well and they'd share this experience together. Let me back up just a minute. You said something about being a co. Are you a corrections officer?

[E]

No longer. No longer. I was released because I was late to one of my things and they.

[B]

Where were you a corrections officer?

[E]

It was cfrc. The which cfrc? Central Florida Reception Center. There's a reception center?

[B]

So there was a state prison.

[E]

I don't know if it's state or it's federal. I don't know.

[B]

And what did you do at the Central Florida Reception Center?

[E]

Monitored inmates.

[B]

Monitor inmates. And these were state inmates? Federal inmates.

[E]

These were state inmates. People that have committed murders.

[B]

Violent felons.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

And you were a corrections officer?

[E]

I was here at that point and I really kind of opened my eyes. Well, not kind of. I really did open my eyes. Right.

[B]

The fact that he was a corrections officer at the Central Florida Reception center and that's where the inmates go to be evaluated before they are sent to an individual prison to serve their sentence. Some may stay there for lengthy period of time, but mostly they go there and they sort them out. And as Devin says, some of these people are killers, they're dangerous felons. And this is the kind of guy who works there. Now that is not to cast dispersions on the fine corrections officers. What it says most about is Devitt's character. And because Devin was fired from that job, he says, for being late. I think the folks at the Central Florida Reception center figured out Devin wasn't cut out for the job. Showing up tonight just drives the point home. If what you've heard shocks you so far, Join us. Back in a moment.

[F]

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[A]

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[B]

How long did you work as a corrections officer in?

[E]

Three months, I think.

[B]

A year and three months. And why did you end that job?

[E]

They got technically released me, but I had their son realigned forcefully because I was not sorry and had enough points. It's called demerits. This type of system was demerits.

[B]

Right. Did you get fired?

[E]

No, it was just a forced resignation.

[B]

A forced resignation?

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

And why would they force you to resign?

[E]

I was late.

[B]

You were late. So you got fired?

[E]

Basically, yeah. And they put forth resignation.

[B]

In your record it says resignation, but you got fired. Now back to why Devin traveled more than an hour on this night. So let's talk about what happened tonight. You were chatting online with a 14 year old girl and you told her that you would take her shopping after you had sex with her tonight. Her losing her virginity?

[G]

Essentially.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

That's. That's a correct characterization.

[E]

Yes.

[B]

Okay, so you were going to. You drove an hour from Orlando.

[E]

I live in Orlando.

[B]

You live in Orlando. How long did you drive tonight to get here?

[E]

An hour and like something.

[B]

I bring up an hour and something to meet a 14 year old girl. You were gonna have sex, right?

[E]

That was a plan initially.

[B]

That's what you said?

[E]

Yes. But if you can let me speak on my behalf. Yeah, I don't pray on people. I don't do it. Okay, but I.

[B]

Yes, you said you were going to

[G]

have sex with her.

[B]

Right. You talked about it online.

[E]

I. I did.

[B]

But did you bring a condom?

[E]

I did.

[B]

You did.

[G]

Okay.

[B]

And then you told her you would take her shopping the next day after you took her virginity.

[E]

Yes.

[B]

And in fact you told her that you were a virgin, which was a lie.

[E]

Yes, I am.

[B]

Okay, so you said that as you can imagine, Devin's double talk is the sort of thing that could frustrate a journalist like me. But I try to stay focused and keep him on point. And this happens frequently with these guys. They want it both ways. They want to admit a little bit of this poor judgment, I was being stupid. But they don't want to admit the fact that they're going to commit a crime, especially this crime. So let me just paint the picture and then I'm going to let you fill in the rest of the colors. Okay, but it looks like you found a 14 year old girl online, you wanted to have sex with her and you were cajoling her by saying you would take her shopping the next day, and you lied to her to make her feel comfortable about the situation by saying you yourself were a virgin. Do I have this right?

[E]

Somewhat.

[B]

Somewhat.

[E]

Okay, well, I'm going to tell you my side of the story.

[B]

Sure.

[E]

Is that my initial, my, my intentions really are to help, as I said, tell people. I'm not.

[B]

It sounded like you wanted to help her have sex for the first time by being her tutor. Your words, correct?

[E]

Yes, that is my words, but okay,

[B]

so you were going to tutor her and teach her to have sex. You asked about her favorite underwear. What did you mean by that? Why would you ask that question of somebody you were trying to help certain people. It sounds like you were trying to help yourself to sex with a 14 year old girl. That's what it sounds like.

[E]

Devin, if I can speak, please, if

[B]

I can speak, if I can tell my side of the story, if I can do this, just to answer the

[E]

question, Devin, if, like you said, you're writing yourself. I feel like certain people, especially like young people that are on the BE

[B]

app that says 18, delay, deflect. Don't answer the question. It's not going to change where you're going tonight.

[E]

Devin should not be posing as that because there's so many people in this world, especially like you.

[B]

Now he's going to accuse those running the sting operation of being deceptive. I've about had enough.

[E]

Yes, like me who came to have

[B]

sex with a 14 year old girl.

[E]

I really did not. I my sense.

[B]

If you were me, what would you think? Damn it. If you were sitting in this chair and not in that chair, what would you think?

[E]

I don't know.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

If you're in the Chris Hansen chair, you've seen my stories, my videos.

[E]

You think I'm lying?

[B]

Yeah. And why would I think you're lying? Because you are.

[E]

I'm gonna say answer. I'm gonna be as blunt as I can. I like to be my own self. I don't like to meet up with other people. I don't like to meet up with young people. I don't. I never had that intention.

[B]

Devin, Devin, Devin, Devin. He never really admits what the transcripts of his texting with a detective posing as a 14 year old girl make pretty clear. At least not on this night. You're talking in circles, Devin. We're dealing with a child here. Right? You're a 23 year old man and you're effing around with a 14 year old child. There's a big difference between 23 and 14. You're a grown ass man and you're diddling around here trying to have sex with a 14 year old girl. And I don't see any other way to put it. And I think you know I'm right. What do you think Devin should happen to you?

[E]

I don't think anything should happen to me.

[B]

You don't think anything should happen to you? Just get up and walk right out of here, get in your car and drive back to Orlando.

[E]

Family. You have family. I miss my family. Right now I really do wish I was home.

[B]

I'm sure you do wish you were home. But probably the most true thing he says is this.

[E]

I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry that I'm sorry for sending you explicit messages. Inappropriate, bad ones.

[B]

So you admit you did all that.

[E]

And I want them to find it in their hearts to forgive me. And I will move forward and I will ever try to meet someone, first day ever, without knowing who they are.

[B]

He is sorry. I think he's mostly sorry he got caught. But what he tells me is that he wants whomever the victim is, the 14 year old girl in this case, to know that he's sorry and hope that everybody can move on. He wants to go home. He thinks Devin does. And he tells me this as well, that if he can just pay a 200 or a $500 fine, we can call it even. We're a long way from being even, Devin. So you know who I am? You know what I do. You familiar with the stories?

[E]

I haven't watched any.

[B]

You haven't watched any?

[E]

No.

[B]

So you've seen To Catch a Predator?

[E]

Once it popped up for you?

[B]

Once it pops up. You know that we do a series now called Takedown with Chris Hansen.

[E]

I did not know that.

[B]

And you've been taken down. Devin says he hasn't watched any of our recent stories, but now he's going to be in one. Devin is not going home on this night. Devin is not going to be able to get out of this situation by paying a 200 or $500 fine. On May 21, 2026, just a few days before sitting down to record this episode, Devin entered into a guilty plea. He was originally charged with three counts, three felonies. He pleaded guilty to traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child. Two other accounts were dismissed. And now the guy who thought he should be able to pay a fine and go home, the man who worked as a corrections officer at the Central Florida Reception center, will be headed there himself to start his four year prison sentence, which will be followed by four years probation and registration as a sex

[E]

offender,

[B]

we'll see how Devin does on the other side of the bar. I was curious, as I'm sure all of you are, to see if Devin had been in trouble in the past. Maybe he got fired from his job being a corrections officer not because he was late, but because of something else, something more nefarious. So we decided to take a look. This is your weekly Truth Finder update brought to you by our free [e-mail] Truthfinder is an invaluable tool for me. I can take a look at an individual's background, I can find their social media profiles and I can find out if they've been charged with a crime in the past. Devin Fernandez, according to Truthfinder, has never been arrested or charged with a felony prior to his arrest. In in this case it shows his arrest. In this case it shows his social media sites, pictures he has posted, where he's lived, other interesting information like that. But he never got into trouble or at least got caught by the law before. It also shows that Devin resided near 89 other registered sex offenders. And you can get this information about your area or anybody with whom you are dealing by going to truthfinder.com predators to get more information. Truthfinder works for me. It can work for you. Check it out now. More of our story in a moment.

[C]

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[B]

As you know, I like to hear from you and this week's question comes from Sean in Albany, New York.

[G]

Hi Chris, my name is Sean. I'm from Albany, New York. I've been a long time viewer, listener and always looking forward to your new content. I recently relocated to this area and became a father to a boy who was 2 and a girl who was about 7 months old. We moved into a nice neighborhood. It's kind of like a golf course style neighborhood where there's a lot of young families. We recently learned that there's a registered sex offender level two that restricts received child porn on his device. He moved in with his mother just down the road from us. Ironically, his mother worked and is now retired as an attorney in the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. I'm struggling to reconcile how, beyond this person being her son, why she would take him in, knowing the trouble that could occur just from his presence alone. It also took me some time to locate him on social media, specifically next door. That's how I was made aware of the situation. Since that time, the website had actually scrubbed any and all data regarding this sex offender. The people that actually posted the detail were warned. This is all very concerning to me, and it seems like there's a lot more protection in this case surrounding the person who committed the crime rather than anybody else that's surrounding this particular person at this time. With that all being said, I got a few questions. I'm hopeful you can share some information. Do you mind sharing with me and your listeners how we could go about living our lives knowing that this monster lives just down the road from our residence and several other residences that have young kids? How do we keep our neighbors aware if we can't use social media without repercussions? What's an appropriate age also to share with my kids or parents of the neighboring kids that the dangers of these people and what they pose are there preventative measures or guides that can help us navigate these situations that, you know, this was basically forced upon us. I'm fortunate that I'm a little further down the road, but there's kids that live and play and they sleep literally right outside his bedroom window. So again, all of this seems to be very concerning to me. I thank you for helping a new father navigate through these two new challenges, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Take care and stay safe.

[B]

Thank you, Sean. It's concerning to me as well. You know, I mentioned earlier about Truth Finder listing registered sex offenders in virtually any specific area you want to search. That's one good tool. It's also listed on publicly accessible sites, government sites, police department, sheriff's office sites, should be easy to find. Now, this bothers me for a lot of reasons. One, we know without a shadow of a doubt that people who view CCAM child pornography, in some cases, in a lot of cases, actually will. Will ultimately offend. Let's look at it the other way. Virtually every sex offender locked up in prison, every child predator will tell you without exception, they have viewed csam. They have fantasized about this to the point where nothing will satisfy them except actual sexual contact. With a child. Where this guy stands in that process, I don't know. The fact that he pleaded guilty, was then convicted by a court of possession of C. Sam, I think is one of the worst crimes in our society. Every time an image is viewed, it's the victimization of the child in the image. That child had no choice. You talk about innocent victims. It's horrifying. Sadly ironic that the mother is a lawyer with Child and Family Services, now retired. If anybody should know the dangers of this, if anybody should intervene in something like this, it should be her. Children have to be careful. Parents have to be guarded. What do you say to your children? Well, it starts with the conversation about stranger danger. If you don't know the person online, you don't know them in real life. And you have to be aware of your surroundings. Nobody should have to live near somebody on the sexual offender registration list, but at least there is a list, so we know where they are, right when. I guess that's the positive here. At least we know the fact that he has been, if I'm understanding this correctly, Sean, that he was taken off the list. That's bothersome. Was he taken off the list because his time had expired? I'd like to have a little more information on the exact charges,

[D]

what it

[B]

was actually that he possessed. It's all bad, cc. It all should be punished to the most severe extent. But at least, you know. Little solace, I'm sure. But at least you know he's there. You know, you can't protest outside the house with pitchforks and torches, but you can be aware, and you have to hope that he's getting some sort of therapy and treatment, that he has some sort of discipline. Never to offend, but that doesn't mean you take any chances. I certainly wouldn't let our children go over there in that area without being observed. I think you have every right to contact law enforcement if you see something suspicious. I wish we didn't have to deal with this, but that's why we continue this work. So parents are aware. Parents can have this discussion with children. Parents can be vigilant. Thank you, Sean. I hope that helps. Feel free to check in again and let me know what's going on. You can find me all over social media at chrishanson on X. Official Chris Hansen on Instagram. Have a seat with Chris Hansen on Tick Tock Cameo, should you desire and of course, my streaming network, True Blue. T R U B L U. Watch trueblue.com for details. New episodes of Takedown. Our predator investigations drop every single Thursday. Check them out. Getting ready to head to Crimecon. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Stay safe, stay healthy. Until then, I'll be watching and listening.

[H]

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