CURWENSVILLE: A New Year’s Day arrest in Curwensville is renewing local attention on online child-exploitation investigations — and the complicated legal history that has surrounded similar cases in Clearfield County.

Michael E. Hanes, 24, of Kersey, was arrested January 1 after arriving at Irvin Park in Curwensville, where authorities allege he believed he was meeting a 15-year-old girl. Police say the “juvenile” was an undercover decoy and that officers were positioned to take Hanes into custody as the meeting unfolded.

^{Michael Hanes (pictured prior to his fall from grace while trying to lure fish).}

Investigators allege Hanes engaged in weeks of online and text communication with the decoy, during which explicit messages and sexual material were exchanged and plans were discussed for a meet-up. He is currently incarcerated in the Clearfield County Jail and is awaiting arraignment and a preliminary hearing.

Court filings list multiple felony charges, including criminal attempt relating to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under 16, aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility.

814 Pred Hunters’ Role

Authorities confirm the investigation received assistance from 814 Pred Hunters, a Pennsylvania-based online child-protection group founded and led by Brian Knepp. The group’s model, as widely reported across the region, typically involves members posing as minors online, preserving communications, and alerting law enforcement when a suspect attempts to turn the contact into an in-person encounter.

DuBoisLIVE does not consider 814 Pred Hunters to be vigilantes. For the most part, we support the group. The work they do helps identify individuals who pose a danger to children (especially in rural areas where staffing and resources are often stretched thin). We continue to praise continued prosecution despite the historical judicial roadblock in Clearfield County. We credit Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers for continuing to prosecute these cases when charges are supported by admissible evidence and the meticulous documentation of 814 Pred Hunters who have always proven to be a cut above similar groups.

^{Brian Knepp, founder of 814 Pred Hunters stands next to District Attorney Ryan Sayers during his candidacy for common pleas judge.}

That pushback is tied to a 2023 legal opinion by soon-retiring President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman, which interpreted Pennsylvania’s unlawful-contact statute to mean the “minor” must be either an actual child or a law-enforcement officer acting in an official capacity. His decades-long reign will end Monday morning when his retirement begins. In practical terms, the 2023 Ammerman ruling created a stop sign for cases that relied on civilian decoys. It put a stop to a wave of prosecutions that stalled or collapsed as a result back then. Other counties, during the same stretch, continued prosecuting and achieving success.

“Many Cases Died On The Bench” — And Why Some Residents Placed Incorrect Blame

In 2022 and 2023, multiple cases connected to 814 Pred Hunters’ stings were filed in Clearfield County. As the legal interpretation took hold, several were dismissed or withdrawn, and prosecutors publicly acknowledged the court-imposed barrier. From our vantage point, the frustration of the public was understandable, but the blame was not always correctly attributed. The obstacle was not a lack of will to prosecute child predators; it was the court’s interpretation of what the statute allowed. Sayers’ office has emphasized the risk of creating statewide precedent through a failed appeal, while lawmakers discussed potential statutory changes. Regardless of where readers land on the policy debate, the record shows that a judicial ruling, not public appetite, was the limiting factor. Many believe this is what tipped the scales in the race for judge between Sayers and Josh Maines.

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New Judge To Be Sworn In On Monday

A new chapter begins Monday when Judge Josh Maines is sworn in as a Clearfield County Common Pleas Judge after defeating a trio of challengers in the primary and the sitting district attorney in the general election.

^{Clearfield County Court of Common Please Judge-elect Josh Maines in a photo used during his campaign.}

Depending on assignments, Maines could be positioned to preside over cases like this one (or even this one) going forward. While no one can predict outcomes, a change on the bench means the system will now be operating with a different judicial lens than the one that shaped the 2023 dismissals.

One Major Ongoing Concern — And Why Safety Still Comes First

One glaring concern about predator-hunter operations is that they sometimes lure suspects from outside the immediate area. When that happens, local taxpayers can shoulder the real costs of incarceration, court time, prosecution resources, etc. even when the suspect is not “from here”.

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Still, we believe getting a predator off the streets is more important than the bill. Public safety comes first, and every community has a stake in keeping children safer online and in public spaces.

New President Judge (Monday Afternoon)

With the swearing-in of Maines and the departure of Ammerman via his retirement Monday, Clearfield County Court of Common Pleas Judge Paul E. Cherry will become elevated to the position of President Judge. Will this mark a shift in how cases involving the 814 Pred Hunters are handled? Time will tell. 

^{Judge Paul Cherry stands (left) next to District Attorney Sayers, F Cortez “Chip” Bell III (Assistant DA), and President Judge Ammerman during the swearing ceremony of Bell to his aforementioned new position in county government in May of 2024.}

Hanes is presumed innocent until proven guilty. DuBoisLIVE will bring updates as this case progresses through the Clearfield County court system.

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