COOKEVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
A 42-year-old Monterey man got a bloody nose when he tried to meet a 12-year-old girl whom he met on Facebook, according to police.
It started when Christopher Strode, of Cookeville, noticed his 12-year-old daughter's Facebook page. He also saw a suspicious private message from a grown man.
Strode followed the link and found the man's cell phone number online. So, he texted the man, posing as his daughter.
The man wrote back and, at one point, allegedly wanted to see a picture of her in a swimsuit.
But it all escalated Sunday when the father, again posing as his daughter, agreed to meet the man at Cane Creek Park.
Instead, the man found the girl's father and the father's fist, according to police.
"As a father, I can see how he got to that point. But in law enforcement, I don't get to pick and choose which laws to enforce on my own. It wouldn't have been my course of action," said Cookeville police Maj. Nathan Honeycutt.
Cookeville father Robert Sutton said he approves of Strode's solo sting operation.
"Cops probably would have been the last resort. I think I would have taken it into my own hands a little further," Sutton said.
According to the police report, Strode hit the man so hard he drew blood.
The Monterey man later told police he deserved to be punched but said he just wanted to befriend the girl.
"I would have been angry, too. I would have been very angry, especially with a beautiful park like this and something like that going on here in this little town. It's sad, and it's happening everywhere," Sutton said.
The man turned over his cell phone to authorities, so for now police will search for additional messages and additional potential victims.
No charges have been filed, but police are still investigating.
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