An internet vigilante group that posed as a 13-year-old girl on Instagram recently helped bust an alleged child predator in Pennsylvania, police said.

Members of the group, “Predator Poachers,” contacted the Bensalem Police Department on July 17 after admitting they had been posing as a 13-year-old girl on Instagram for eight months and was in contact with alleged child predator Eric Rooney, authorities indicated via a July 18 press release. Rooney, 42, allegedly made sexually explicit statements and told the group posing as the 13-year-old he planned to engage in sexual intercourse with “her,” according to the same release. (RELATED: ‘Pedo Hunters’: New Daily Caller Doc Gives Inside Look Into The Activist-Vigilantes Tracking Down Our Sickest Criminals)

Rooney arrived at in Bensalem Township to meet the girl and engage in sexual intercourse with her on the night of July 17. He was then confronted by members of the group, who called police. Rooney faces multiple charges, including unlawful contact with a minor, attempted involuntary deviant sexual intercourse with a minor, and attempted statutory sexual assault. While speaking with police, the suspect also allegedly admitted to using his cell phone to obtain and view child pornography, according to the same release.

Although the meeting between the group and Rooney ended in Rooney’s arrest, Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey told NBC 10 Philadelphia, the situation could’ve become dangerous.

“They’re not police officers trained to take people down. That’s the most dangerous time for a police officer is the point of arrest,” McVey explained to the outlet. He also said there could be other victims.

Vigilante groups that catch predators are becoming more commonplace. Groups like “DAP: Dads Against Predators,” which was founded in 2021, typically use dating apps to lure predators, pose as minors, and then set a time to meet in a public place before exposing them.

Vigilante groups designed to lure predators also have expressed being “tired” of waiting for law enforcement, which prompts them to take matters into their own hands.