I find it mind-boggling that at a time when there is such a spotlight on predator priests that a local cleric would contact an underage teenager for sex.

This is what the Rev. Gregory Loughney, 42, pastor of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Cresco, Barrett Township, Monroe County, thought he was doing when he showed up in October at a convenience store in Blakeslee but instead was confronted by self-appointed predator-catcher Nicholas Goodlavage.

Realizing that he had been ensnared, Loughney contacted the Pocono Mountain Regional Control Center via 911, and, according to an affidavit of probable cause, said, “I made a mistake, and I need to report myself.”

Loughney is accused of exchanging sexually explicit messages with a member of a predator-catcher’s group, who posed as a 15-year-old boy. They met on Tinder, a social media platform, and continued their conversations on WhatsApp where, investigators said, they talked about showering together, having oral sex and using sex toys. They, along with the 15-year-old’s friend, agreed to meet up at the convenience store rendezvous.

Loughney is facing numerous charges, including statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault. Chris Wagner of the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, which filed charges, stressed that no actual minor was involved in the case. The priest was removed from active duty by the bishop of the Scranton diocese pending the outcome of the criminal case. Loughney is free on $75,000 bail awaiting a trial date sometime in early 2022.

You may recall from a previous column that predator-catchers have been active in Northeastern Pennsylvania for nearly two years. The activity follows efforts by Musa Harris, the self-stylized Luzerne County predator-catcher, who employs similar tactics and says he’s confronted nearly 240 individuals.

Goodlavage is associated with the group that refers to itself as 570 Predator Catchers. The “570” is a reference to the area code that encompasses the region where the group operates.

It was Goodlavage who confronted Loughney when he showed up for the “meeting.” Goodlavage posted Facebook photos of Loughney after his “gotcha” moment.

Goodlavage has been mostly silent about his involvement, preferring to give credit to the group. The goal, he said, is to expose “these monsters.” This was the group’s second success, Goodlavage said. The strategy is basically the same used by Harris. The catcher assumes a fake, teenage identity online to find and publicly expose grown adults who believe they are having sexual conversations with minors, then arrange to meet up in person.

The first encounter was also in October at a Walmart in Taylor, Lackawanna County, with a man who has not been identified. Apparently, no charges have been filed from this encounter.

In fact, many such confrontations do not result in arrests and charges. The case against Loughney happens to be one of these rare instances. One of the mitigating circumstances may have been the fact that Loughney contacted police and basically incriminated himself.

Pennsylvania law requires that only a law enforcement officer acting as a minor is able to pull off this ruse legally and make it stick in court. Making a recording of a person without his or her consent violates the state’s wiretap laws, but when it’s done in a public setting, the courts have frequently ruled that no crime has been committed.

While criminal charges might not always come about because of Harris’ and Goodlavage’s efforts, they are counting on the public exposure to put an intense spotlight on the would-be predator and make his life hell in the court of public opinion.

While the motives of these predator-catchers might be applauded, law enforcement officials suggest that it is much better to let police handle these cases. They fear that someone might wind up injured or possibly worse.

When confronted in this manner, a would-be predator might be armed and attack the predator-catcher. There are just too many things that can go wrong. A far less dangerous alternative for those who suspect child abuse would be to call the state-sponsored ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 or the state attorney general’s child-predator hotline at 1-800-385-1044.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.