Six teens are facing a number of charges following a series of assaults over the last 11 months.
Regina police say that in most cases, male victims met the suspects through a dating app.
“The suspects were posing as a 15-year-old boy during the online interaction and then filming the subsequent assaults with the intention to share on social media platforms as part of the ‘Catch a Predator’ online trend,” police said.
To Catch a Predator is a television show designed to catch adults trying to have sex with children below the age of 16. People are lured to meet a decoy. An online trend saw people stage similar set-ups and share the confrontations on social media.
Regina police say the first reported incident came on April 24, 2024 at a residence near 2000 Wascana St. Police say they found a boy holding a silver piece of pipe in the air, facing a man who was injured.
Police said they de-escalated the situation and took one suspect into custody. Two other males were also involved in this assault, and police say the suspects and victim knew each other.
The next offence police say happened on Oct. 12, 2024, when a male victim arranged a meet-up through a dating app.
When the victim arrived at the address, he was assaulted outside the home by six or seven males wearing masks, police said. The suspects also stole alcohol from the victim before fleeing the scene.
A 13-year-old boy, two 16-year-old boys, a 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy, all of whom cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, are facing charges of robbery and assault, according to police.
In another incident on Oct. 30, 2024, police were called to a home after reports of an assault.
They said officers found a 20-year-old male victim suffering from multiple injuries.
The victim told police he had arranged to meet with someone he had met through a dating app.
“When he arrived at the location, a park in the 2400 Block of Elphinstone Street, he was assaulted by a group of males,” police said. “The victim’s phone was smashed, and his vehicle keys were taken. The victim was treated for his injuries in hospital and released.”
A 13-year-old boy, two 16-year-old boys, a 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy are charged with robbery and assault in this case.
Finally, police described an assault at a business near 1900 Elphinstone St. on Jan. 17, 2025.
Police say five teenage boys went into the business and assaulted a sixth male.
The suspects and victim fled the scene, but police say officers were able to locate two boys and link them to the assault.
The teens told police they had arranged to meet with the victim through a dating app.
A 13-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy were charged with assault.
All of the six accused made their first appearances on these charges in Regina provincial youth court.
The investigation is ongoing as police believe there are more suspects.