Gulfport man convicted of child exploitation after confronting 'predatory poachers'

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – District Attorney Crosby Parker announced Wednesday that 36-year-old Justin Cripps of Gulfport will serve 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of child exploitation.

Cripps was sentenced to 30 years, with 20 years suspended.

On January 4, 2022, the founder of the group “Predator Poachers” approached Cripps after he sent sexually explicit messages to one of their bait accounts.

Gulfport police say Cripps believed the social media account belonged to a nine-year-old girl.

In the videotaped confrontation with the “Poaching Shoppers,” Cripps said his Instagram account had been hacked and he had not sent any messages. Cripps later stated that she sent sexually explicit material because she was “playing coy”.

During a search of Cripps, Gulfport police found the cell phone hidden under a mattress. After searching the phone, police said Cripps’ Instagram account had not been hacked and that he had sent several messages to the decoy account.

During the court, Judge Christopher Schmidt said the messages lacked an “element of humanity” and that Cripps was “just a few keystrokes away from getting what he really wants”.

Cripps is not eligible for parole or early release. He will also have to register as a sex offender and complete five years of post-release supervision after his release.

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