ATHENS, Ga. — A University of Georgia professor has been removed from campus after a video that may have landed him in trouble with law enforcement.
“Street Sweeperz TV” confronted the professor and accused him of chatting inappropriately with someone he believed was a teenage boy.
Channel 2’s Michael Doudna learned the independent group started operating six months ago and tries to catch potential predators before they ever get to kids.
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Last week, they say they got a tip that led them to a UGA classroom.
Members of “Street Sweeperz” interrupted class and confronted the professor with the messages he allegedly sent to someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy.
“He had texted one of our decoy accounts on a sex dating app,” Angelus Pereira with “Street Sweeperz” said.
“I made a mistake. I made a mistake,” he can be heard saying in the video.
Pereira says the conversations started last week, and shortly after, they turned sexual.
“They got very inappropriate, very graphic,” he said. “He sent a video of himself and pictures.”
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He says the professor tried meeting up with the teenager in Athens.
Students told Doudna that if the allegations are true, then the professor should be fired and held accountable.
“If it really is him, I think he should be kicked out of the university for sure, and then let the legal stuff happen on its own,” UGA student Jack Hinton said.
“That person probably shouldn’t be around young kids, kids in college,” said UGA student Sam Toubin.
Doudna spoke with three lawyers who say that as long as “Street Sweeperz” followed proper procedures, criminal charges are still possible.
As of now, the professor has not been criminally charged, so Channel 2 Action News is not identifying him.
The university issued a statement, saying in part:
“The allegations that have been made against the instructor are deeply troubling, and we want you to know that the University takes them very seriously. An investigation has already been launched, and the instructor was promptly removed from campus while that investigation is pending. The UGA PD has been in communication with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and is working with the social media influencers to collect all relevant evidence. The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will arrange for another instructor to teach the class for the rest of the semester.”
Anyone with information was encouraged to contact UGA PD at 706-542-2200.
People can also submit it 24/7 to the CyberTipline or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
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