Bond Reduced To Zero For Accused Online Predator From Vernon

WOLCOTT, CT — A 58-year-old Vernon man who Wolcott police say was caught in the act by an organization that seeks to catch sexual predators had his bond reduced from $75,000 to zero dollars in court Friday.

Gregory Yount was served a warrant Friday and appeared in Waterbury Superior court that same day to answer a single charge of enticing a minor by computer, records show. He is due back in court on Feb. 2, records show. The initial bond was revised to a written promise to appear, according to the state judicial system website.

According to police, the case unfolded on New Year's Eve, when Wolcott Police received a call about group of people confronting a "child molester" at the Dunkin' Donuts at 478 Wolcott Road. Police identified the group as a non-profit organization called Predator Catchers Inc., and members were "holding" Yount at the Dunkin' until officers arrived, according to an incident report.

A member of the organization provided police with several binders containing text messages and Face Time interactions between Yount and a fictitious 13-year-old girl created by the organization, according to an incident report. The interactions began in the beginning of December and ended on Dec. 31, when a meeting was setup between Yount and the made-up teen, according to an incident report. They were to meet at the Dunkin' for "the purpose to get a hotel room to have sex," according to an incident report.

The investigation was followed up by Wolcott police detective Rich Hamel and officer Danielle Russo and a warrant was secured for Yount's arrest, according to an incident report.