(KRON) — A previously convicted sex offender was arrested Sunday after he traveled to San Mateo from the East Bay in an attempt to meet up with a minor, according to police.
The San Mateo Police Department was notified of the suspect, identified as James Carey, 43, of Pleasant Hill, by an organization “aimed at catching child predators by acting as minor decoys who solicit potential offenders,” police said. The organization told authorities that they had made plans with Carey for him to meet with a decoy minor in San Mateo on Sunday for the purpose of sexual activity.
San Mateo PD officers used license plate reader cameras to trace Carey’s location as he made his way from the East Bay to the city, according to the department.
“Shortly after 1pm, Carey arrived at the agreed upon location and the decoy identified him while SMPD officers moved in for the arrest,” police wrote. “Carey was taken into custody without incident.”
San Mateo police officers arrest convicted sex offender James Carey, 43, of Pleasant Hill, on May 3, 2026, under suspicion of meeting a minor for lewd purposes. (Photo: San Mateo Police Department)
Carey, SMPD said, is on the sex offender registry with a prior conviction. He was booked into the San Mateo County Jail for:
Arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes with a prior
Contacting a minor for the intent of committing a serious felony
Meeting with the intent to engage in lewd or lascivious acts with a minor
“While impassioned by their cause, this organization, who wish to remain anonymous, has taken it upon themselves to catch nefarious evildoers in the act,” police wrote. “However, we do not encourage anyone to ever put themselves in harms way to catch a criminal.”