A Laurel man caught in a sting operation set up by an online YouTube group now faces 11 charges of sexual abuse of children in Yellowstone County District Court.
Tieler Randy Wells, 27, pleaded not guilty to all charges in court Wednesday. His bail was set at $200,000 by Judge Jeanne Walker.
The incident began Aug. 10, when Laurel dispatchers received a 911 call from a person reporting that a YouTube group called Predator Poachers was at a residence on the 2500 block of Topeka Drive in Laurel speaking with Wells.
The caller said the Texas-based group had been communicating with Wells online while posing as a minor, and Wells had allegedly sent nude photographs of himself in their chats, according to charging documents filed by Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito.
Officers arrived to question Wells. According to charging documents, a member of the Predator Poachers group told a Laurel police officer that Wells had a tablet with sexually explicit pictures and possible videos of underage girls. Wells agreed to allow an officer search the tablet, and it contained hundreds of photos of partially clothed underaged girls, including pornographic images, according to charging documents.
Twito wrote in the charging document that Laurel police did not direct the Predator Poachers group to do anything in connection with the case.
On Aug. 11, Wells agreed to speak with Laurel officers at the police station. He admitted to sending multiple "sexually charged" comments to people online nationwide over the past three years, targeting families based on photos he saw online of their children, according to charging documents. He also allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he is attracted to young children, according to charging documents.
The Predator Poachers identify themselves as investigative journalists who create their videos for educational purposes. The group has 100 videos on its channel, depicting encounters similar to what took place in Laurel with Wells.
The video featuring Wells is about one hour and 40 minutes long and shows a lengthy discussion between a member of Predator Poachers and a man who appears to be Wells. The video has amassed 307,000 views on YouTube since it was posted two months ago.
