Meta Reportedly Ditches High-Level Facebook Staffer Caught in Child Sex Sting Op
08:48 GMT 19.02.2022 (Updated: 18:21 GMT 03.11.2022)
© REUTERS / DADO RUVIC
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A video posted by an amateur group called PCI Predator Catchers Indianapolis on its YouTube page featured two people questioning Meta/Facebook Manager of Community Development Jeren Andrew Miles, who admitted to engaging in sexually explicit communications with purportedly a 13-year-old boy.
“The seriousness of these allegations cannot be overstated. The individual is no longer employed with the company. We are actively investigating this situation and cannot provide further comment at this time,” said a statement from Meta spokesperson Drew Pusateri.
Jeren Andrew Miles, of Palm Springs, California, formerly manager of global community development, had been depicted in a two-hour video, live streamed on 16 February on YouTube by an amateur group called PCI Predator Catchers Indianapolis.
While Miles, 35, was not specifically heard admitting to any sex act or the intention to carry one out, he was depicted being interrogated by two people.
In the course of the questioning, he acknowledged he had exchanged sexually explicit texts with a person claiming to be a 13-year-old boy. Furthermore, Miles allegedly made plans for the “boy” to meet him at Le Meridien Columbus hotel. It was at that location that the "Predator Catchers" group interviewed him.
On 18 February other publications picked up the story, with the viral footage reposted on Reddit and other sites.
Meta spokesperson Drew Pusateri failed to specify whether Miles was fired or was forced to resign. According to Ingrid Lunden, a reporter at Tech Crunch, Pusateri tried to persuade her to drop the story.
The group that interrogated Miles in the video is cited by media outlets as having “sent over evidence to the police departments in Ohio and California” in the hopes that an investigation might be launched.
Jeren Andrew Miles, who serves on the board of directors for an LGBTQ+ group, Equality California, has since deleted his social media accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Furthermore, Equality California is believed to have retroactively ditched Miles from their organisation.
LGBTQ+ organization Equality California (@eqca) is trying to retroactively scrub Jerren Miles from their group. He was listed as being on the board of directors. A 2019 award event attended by Mayor London Breed & other big names has removed Miles. Archive:https://t.co/BvNgAYHgm5 pic.twitter.com/SriVSTbJzF
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) February 18, 2022
The current sex scandal implicating a staffer at Meta/Facebook, mired in controversy related to data protection and privacy, is noting new for the company.
15 February 2022, 16:01 GMT
In 2017, Dov Katz, the head of computer vision at Facebook’s virtual reality subsidiary, Oculus, was replaced following his arrest outside Seattle after allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover officer who he believed at the time to be a 15-year-old girl.
