Jake Hockey, a 27‑year‑old social‑media personality from Traverse City, Michigan, has built an audience of more than 250,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram by positioning himself at the center of a grim online hunt.
Posing as a minor in chat rooms and forums, Hockey and his partner, who goes by the initials C.J., never initiate contact; instead they reveal the fabricated age within the first ten messages and let the conversation progress until the other party reveals intent to meet.
The Decoy Strategy
When a suspect shows signs of heading toward a rendezvous, the pair alert local authorities, hand over the recorded exchange and, in many cases, accompany the encounter until police arrive. Their efforts have resulted in roughly thirty alleged predators being identified, about twenty of whom now face criminal charges, including a former Gaylord City Council member.
Grand Traverse County Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Attwood acknowledges the desire to lock up child predators but warns that the evidence gathered by civilians often lacks the rigor needed for courtroom prosecution and can expose both the hunters and the public to danger.
Attwood’s concerns echo those of law‑enforcement officials who question the admissibility of the recordings and the safety of confronting suspects in public spaces. Hockey, however, insists that he always de‑escalates interactions and that his ultimate goal is a court conviction, not a viral video.
Beyond the online crusade, Hockey has spoken openly about his own history of addiction and legal trouble, saying that the purpose he now pursues gives him a sense of clarity and hope that he has not felt before.