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John Robert Tasevoli, 44, is accused of attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex in August 2023 following months of explicit communication with Justin Perry, better known as “Mr. 17540,” according to West Earl Township police, and an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
The affidavit details how Perry, who runs social media accounts to expose child predators, began communicating with Tasevoli in April 2023. Posing as “Kelly,” Perry initially claimed to be a 19-year-old woman, later telling Tasevoli that "Kelly" was only 14. Despite this, Tasevoli allegedly sent explicit messages, nude photos, and graphic descriptions of sexual acts he wanted to perform on the girl.
On Aug. 11, 2023, Tasevoli drove from Harrisburg to a Sonic restaurant on Oregon Pike in West Earl Township to meet “Kelly.” Text messages revealed he had provided his arrival time and confirmed he was waiting in the parking lot, according to the affidavit.
Perry arrived at the Sonic shortly after and confronted Tasevoli, livestreaming the encounter on Facebook while wearing a GoPro camera. Perry accused Tasevoli of attempting to meet a 14-year-old for sex and showed him the explicit text messages as evidence. Tasevoli, seated in his vehicle, initially denied the allegations, gave a false name, and eventually threatened self-harm during the recorded exchange.
The affidavit noted that the final text from "Kelly" was sent at 7:46 p.m., minutes before Perry confronted Tasevoli. Based on the evidence collected, police requested an arrest warrant for Tasevoli, who now faces two counts of statutory sexual assault and five other charges.
Tasevoli is currently held in Dauphin County Prison on unrelated charges of child pornography and patronizing a prostitute. His next court date is in January.
Perry has a primary convict having filed an Alford plea for a July 2021 summary charge of harassment after a fight with a woman at his home in 2020, this means he concedes the charge would likely be proven had the case gone to trial.
Perry, known for his vigilante stings, has been operating under the moniker “Mr. 17540” since 2018. Police declined to comment on Perry’s methods, stating additional details will be released later this week. Perry could not be reached for comment.
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