Chilliwack man sentenced for child luring after Creep Catcher's sting

A Chilliwack man has been sentenced to six months for child luring after he was caught in a sting by a vigilante group.

Don Putt, 67, pleaded guilty in provincial court earlier this week and was sentenced Thursday by a judge.

The charge is in connection to an Oct. 7 incident when Putt showed up on a scooter to the Vedder Crossing McDonald's to meet a boy he thought was 12.

Instead, he met a group from Fraser Valley Creep Catchers who proceeded to berate and abuse Putt. 

At one point he tried to defend himself.

"I thought I was doing a nice thing. I realized this is not right, so I changed that and said 'nothing sexual," said Putt who was referring to what he wrote to the "bait" online.

He was invited to leave and say goodbye to family before police came.

"I'm not running from anything," Putt said, drinking coffee as he awaited police.

Out of the 130 people we've caught, "you are the worst," the group taunted Putt as they awaited police.

They then attacked him verbally promising that "our videos will haunt you."

At one point, they involved strangers in the restaurant, swearing at Putt and describing him in vulgar language.

Putt was sentenced Thursday to the remaining time, after already spending 28 days in jail.

Creep Catchers is a group of vigilantes who pose as children to lure sexual predators to meetings where they are filmed and shamed on social media.

At a sentencing hearing Dec. 13, Crown counsel Grant Lindsey asked the judge for six months, which is also the statutory minimum.

Putt is also forbidden from attending the places where persons under age 16 might be, and he is forbidden from accessing the internet.

In October, a judge granted Putt's request to be released on $35,000 bail, which came with strict conditions, including handing in his passports.

New Zealand born, Putt is an Australian citizen who has worked in Canada.

Putt turned himself in to remain in custody.

The Creep Catchers postings prompted another alleged historical victim to come forward.

After that, Putt was also charged with sexual touching in connection to an incident in 1985.

That matter was put over until Jan.10 to fix a date.

Putt will appear by video in court.