An Alberta man has been convicted of criminal harassment for his involvement in a Creep Catchers sting.

Court in Red Deer heard over the summer that Carl Young, also known as Karl Murphy, met with another man in Lacombe, Alta., on Nov. 23, 2016 and accused him of illegal acts with minors.

The man immediately denied he鈥檇 done anything wrong, and Young posted a video of the encounter online the next day.

Court heard Young and the man had been communicating through the online app Grindr, where Young, who is 38, posed as a teenage boy and claimed to be 18 before later saying he was 15.

They arranged to meet, but the man testified he planned to watch a movie with the teen and that he has a learning disability which makes it difficult for him to pick up on social cues.

Judge Darrell Riemer will announce Young鈥檚 sentence on Jan. 22.

鈥淵ou changed my life for the worse,鈥� said the man鈥檚 father, who was reading his son鈥檚 victim impact statement in court.

鈥淵ou made me feel that no one loves me and that I am pointless.鈥�

The man wasn鈥檛 present for Monday鈥檚 verdict.

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Creep Catchers are private citizens who post videos online to expose people they believe are seeking out minors for sexual activity.

Young had also faced a mischief charge but the Crown chose not to pursue it.

The Crown is seeking 12 months鈥� probation for Young, that he have no contact with the man or his family, and not possess any weapons and not possess or use any device capable of connecting to the internet.

Maurice Collard, Young鈥檚 defence lawyer, asked that his client receive only a fine for his conviction, saying the year he鈥檚 been living under court-ordered conditions has been punishment enough.

鈥淗is motivation, while framed as vigilantism, was to protect other people from exploitation,鈥� Collard argued.

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(RD 亚洲天堂 Now)

Troy Gillard, RD 亚洲天堂 Now, The Canadian Press

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