Behind the Sting: Inside a GHOST Squad Operation

FLINT, Mich. (FOX 2) - Inside a cramped, rundown Mid-Michigan hotel room, six heavily armed investigators sit on plastic lawn chairs in dead silence. A cell phone on the table buzzes.

On the other end of the line is a man who thinks he is arranging a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl. In reality, he is walking straight into a sting orchestrated by G.H.O.S.T.—the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Global Human Oppression Strike Team.

The specialized task force gave FOX 2 an exclusive look at what it takes to hunt down online child predators.

"We’ve prosecuted 270 predators," says Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, the creator of the unit. "And we’ve never lost a case."

Despite a flawless conviction record and widespread publicity, investigators say the digital influx of predators trying to target children hasn't slowed down.

'Business is Still Very Good'

FOX 2 first embedded with the team back in the summer of 2023. During those initial undercover stings, we watched investigators catch predators traveling from Mid-Michigan all the way down to Monroe County.

Three years later, we suited up with them again.

The tension inside the tactical briefing room is palpable as commanders run through worst-case scenarios.

"Any shots fired, get down, stay down," an officer instructs the team. "If anyone’s injured—any officer injured—we’re going to load and go."

Despite the team's growing national notoriety, the sheer volume of offenders hasn't slowed down.

"There are still pervs out there wanting to come and meet with 15-year-olds," said Deputy Mackenzie Rose.

Inside the Headspace of a 'Chatter'

Deputy Rose acts as a "chatter"—an investigator who creates an online alter ego to intercept predators before they find real children. She advertises "services" on adult sex meet-up sites, adopting the persona of an underage girl.

The explicit nature of the messages she receives is immediate and jarring.

"Full nudes front, back, and the underneath."

During any given sting operation, Rose will chat with hundreds of men in a single night.

"It’s getting into their world," Rose explained. "In my head, I say like, it’s happening to me, it’s not happening to a real 15-year-old. Ultimately, there isn’t a real victim."

The tactical setup is anything but glamorous. The team – consisting of six or seven heavily armed investigators – packs tightly into a rundown local hotel room acting as the operation's nerve center.

"We are cramped in a nasty hotel room you wouldn’t want to rent, sitting in lawn chairs," G.H.O.S.T. Captain Jason Murphy said.

The strategy relies on absolute clarity. The chatters ensure the target explicitly acknowledges the decoy is a minor before a physical meet-up is arranged.

"They’re amped up," Murphy said. "They’re thinking they’re walking in to have sex with a 15-year-old girl, and they open it up and they see our ugly mugs. It shocks them."

When asked if the vulgarity of the work ever desensitizes them, Lt. Andrew Snyder didn't mince words: "All of it."

Ignoring the Warnings

Lt. Snyder, another chatter on the crew, recently reeled in a suspect after explicitly drawing the line.

"I gave him a price of $140 for intercourse," Snyder said. "He asked how old... I told him 15 years old. Then he asked again, 'Are you sure you’re not a cop?'"

It's a question targets ask frequently. G.H.O.S.T.'s reputation has exploded across Michigan, to the point where suspects often drive past highway billboards featuring Sheriff Swanson's face on their way to the meet-ups.

"People know who we are and what we do, and there are still morons that continue to show up," Snyder said.

"Since we have done our story, we’ve now worked with 64 sheriffs throughout the state of Michigan, and nine states throughout the country," Sheriff Swanson added.

Data shows that the proactive operations pay massive dividends for community safety. For every single predator successfully prosecuted by the unit, statistically, 25 future young victims are spared.

"If you don’t have G.H.O.S.T. or an undercover operation, then you’re going to have real victims, and we’re gonna be picking up the pieces of people’s lives," Swanson said.

The Bait is Set

Back in the hotel room, a cell phone rings. Deputy Rose has a potential suspect on the hook.

In a recorded exchange, the suspect questions the decoy's age: "You’re only 15?"

"Yeah, I mean all the other guys never had an issue with it," Rose responds.

Moments later, the deal is finalized.

"You’re going to have to send me another pic, I want to see your face and boobs," the suspect says – setting a date to meet in the room.

It's a date. The adrenaline instantly spikes inside the cramped hotel room.

"As soon as he walks in, we will come up behind him. We will have one at the top of the stairs," an officer coordinates.

Outside, Lt. Ryan Dobbs keeps eyes on the exterior perimeter. A 20-year veteran in law enforcement, Dobbs has learned to prepare for extreme danger.

"A lot of these guys are armed. We’ve dealt with several of them who show up with guns," Dobbs said. "We had a guy show up in black fatigues—he had two handguns on him, a black ski mask. He was coming to rob us. He didn’t think it was the police, but he was coming to rob the female."

When the targets do get caught, Dobbs says the excuses are usually the same.

"We are used to the excuse of, 'Oh, I was just coming here to check on this teenager with booze and edibles... with condoms.'"

The suspect pulls into the parking lot – but leaves. 

This one is off the hook, but he's not the only one.

'I'm a Good Person'

What they're saying:

At a Flint-area truck stop, a suspect later identified as 36-year-old Joshua Bigford, allegedly agreed to a text exchange to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex at a price of $80.

When Bigford arrives at the truck stop and realizes it's a trap, he attempts to flee in his vehicle. G.H.O.S.T. units move in and Sheriff Swanson assists units on the ground in the takedown and getting the suspect into handcuffs.

Once secured in the back of a police cruiser, Bigford immediately tries to change the narrative.

"I was going to take them out to eat, give them some money, and bring them back to the truck stop and go home," Bigford claimed to investigators.

He then attempted to shift the blame onto the undercover decoy. "They were sexually charged toward me… I refused it. I didn’t say anything sexual to them."

However, investigators kept the digital receipts. Lt. Snyder read the verified text exchange aloud:

Suspect: "Hey, how's it going?"
Decoy: "Hey baby, what's up? Just got out of work, getting ready to hop in the shower."
Suspect: "Kk, what you wanna do? Got anything to party with?"
Decoy: "No, I’m pretty straight-laced."
Suspect: "Rates?"
Decoy: "100. What you wanna do?"
Suspect: "Short and sweet visit—suck and f***. Be nice to me, I’m younger."
Suspect: "Where you at? Truck stop Mt. Morris... Tri-city area."

Once presented with that – Bigford insisted: "I’m a good f***ing person."

Bigford has been charged with two misdemeanors: solicitation and using a computer to commit a crime. His case remains pending in court.

The Evolving Battle

By the numbers:

With more than 270 prosecutions under their belt, G.H.O.S.T. officials emphasize that their work cannot stop because online offenders rarely stop on their own.

"Once we identify somebody, stats will show... you’re saving the lives of 25 future victims because they do not stop," Swanson said.

But as law enforcement tactics evolve, so does the hostility of the predators. Operation Commander Lt. Rudy Lopez warns that the digital landscape is turning increasingly dark.

"It’s changed—the vulgarity. The chatters are seeing more violence in the chats. It’s getting worse," Lopez said.

For the parents at home, Lopez left a sobering reminder about keeping tabs on your children's digital lives before a predator does.

"The line I go back to is: you have to love your kids, because if you don’t, someone else will," Lopez said. "If you’re not the ear your kids talk to, somebody else is going to be that ear. Someone will give them that attention—that is where the problem is."

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