Tip from group of child predator hunters leads to arrest of 79-year-old Acton man

ACTON, Mass. — A retired serviceman was charged with child enticement over the weekend after using an app called DaddyHunt to send inappropriate messages to a young boy, according to authorities.

79-year-old Douglas Cooper appeared in Concord District Court Monday, where a judge ordered him held on $1,500 cash bail.

Cooper is accused of establishing an online relationship through the app with a 14-year-old boy named Caleb.

Only Caleb didn’t exist.

Instead, the person engaging in sexual banter with the 79-year-old for a week was “Blaze” — leader of the group WolfPackPredHunta.

The civilian group poses as underage victims to expose potential child predators. This latest exchange involving Cooper led to an arrest by Acton Police.

Cooper is the group’s 26th “catch” — but it remains to be seen if their evidence holds up in court. It consists of messages back and forth between Cooper and “Caleb” — with Cooper knowing “Caleb” was just fourteen. The messages contained erotic content including Cooper describing his genitals as well as his preferred sexual practices.

“If you remember, they had to use puppy dogs on ropes and vans and candy and stuff like that,” Blaze said. “Now they have instant access right in the palm of their hands.”

After about a week of sexually charged banter, it is alleged that Cooper and “Caleb” agreed to meet at the South Acton commuter rail station, where the boy was set to arrive last Saturday on the 3:12 p.m. train from Boston. Before his arrival, court papers indicate Cooper sent this message to “Caleb”:

“Pack anything you think I might find naughty or nice. And come prepared to spend the night in case you decided you’d like to stay over.”

“Caleb” not only didn’t stay over... he never arrived in Acton. And so, court papers allege, Cooper went home.

And it was there that Blaze and other WolfPackPredHuntas confronted him — posting the exchange to the group’s YouTube channel.

“You’re old enough to be his great-grandfather,” Blaze said to Cooper in the video.

The suspect replied, “Yup.”

“You really got sexual with him,” Blaze said.

Cooper replied, “But there’s no way of me knowing for sure that you didn’t set it up.”

WoldPackPredHunta turned over its evidence to Acton Police, who wound up arresting Cooper on a charge of enticing a child under 16.

Cooper’s court-appointed attorney, David O’Mahony, said his client can’t afford the $1,500 due to the fact he lives on a fixed income in Section 8 housing in Acton.

O’Mahony also said this case is a first for him.

“I’ve been practicing law for over 20 years and haven’t had a case like this,” said O’Mahony. He plans to research the defense of cases in which citizens act, essentially, as a police sting operation — but with no police involvement until the very end.

“Growing up, I loved Sherlock Holmes,” O’Mahony said. “And Sherlock Holmes was a consulting detective. And I wonder if these folks view themselves that way?”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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