41-year-old man arrested at Glass Hall after allegedly agreeing to meet with a minor
Photo by Eden Bahatt, Staff Photographer
On Nov. 18, a video circulated on social media of a middle-aged man being arrested on Chapman University’s campus for allegedly attempting to meet with someone claiming to be a 16-year-old.
The post, which garnered thousands of views, showed the man entering the Glass Hall residences with a Chapman key card while being followed by an online streamer. Afterwards, he is seen on the ground outside of the dorm pool in handcuffs and surrounded by police.
Orange Police Department (OPD) has confirmed that a 41-year-old man was arrested for allegedly agreeing to meet with a minor for “purposes of lewd conduct” — this refers to indecent sexual behavior. The arrest was made just after midnight on Nov. 18.
Bob Hitchcock, director of strategic communications at Chapman, provided a statement on the matter on Nov. 20, saying that administration is aware of the incident and that it has been resolved.
“We immediately initiated an internal investigation and followed up with students,” Hitchcock told The Panther. “While we can’t share details, we can confirm that a previous guest of a staff member, who is no longer employed with the university, was unauthorized to be in Glass Hall.”
OPD also confirmed that the man is not a Chapman student and has no known relation to the university. Currently, investigators within the department are attempting to determine how the accused was able to obtain a key card granting him access to the dorm hall.
Lieutenant Mike Monjaraz, OPD’s public information officer, said public safety is the top priority for the police department in this case.
“Our biggest concern is: is there a tie back to Chapman University? Do they pose an imminent threat to Chapman University students?” Monjaraz told The Panther.
The video — posted by Instagram user “Tragic” — was part of an independent sting operation run by the content creator in which he pretended to be a 16-year-old on social media messaging with the 41-year-old.
The Panther reached out to the Instagram account for a statement.
“Around 11 p.m. Nov. 17, I started messaging the suspect,” said the user. “We discussed three times that I was 16 and I had to sneak out to see him.”
The suspect then asked for photos of the supposed 16-year-old he was speaking to before sending him the Glass Hall address. None of the actions alleged were shown in the video.
“Tragic” provided a name for the suspect, but The Panther was unable to confirm the identity with a secondary source. Monjaraz also said that OPD cannot currently disclose a name or any further identifying information on the arrested individual.
Dean of Students Jerry Price sent out an email to Glass Hall residents later on in the day confirming the arrest and affirming that the university is cooperating with authorities.
“We have taken appropriate personnel action and are reviewing safety protocols with all Residence Life staff,” Price wrote. “Please be assured there are no immediate or ongoing safety concerns. Your safety and security is our greatest priority and commitment.”
Hitchcock noted that an internal investigation is looking into reviewing the enforcement of guest protocols and echoed Price’s statement that safety is the university’s priority.
This is a developing story. The Panther will continue reporting upon it as more information is released.