Judge grants Red Bud man’s request to end defamation suit against ‘predator hunters’
A Randolph County judge has dismissed a defamation suit against a “predator-hunting” organization at the request of the 21-year-old Red Bud man who filed it in September.
Adrian Collins had maintained that KTS Predator Hunters and its leader, Kyle Swanson, wrongly defamed him on Facebook by accusing him of “grooming” a 14-year-old girl for sex in private messages. He later lost his job as a security guard at Red Bud Regional Hospital.
Collins filed a motion for voluntary dismissal in December. Associate Judge Gene Gross granted it on Monday but denied Collins’ request for a restraining order against Swanson.
Collins’ grandmother, Cathy Kovar, of Red Bud, continues to maintain his innocence, noting he hasn’t been charged with a crime or investigated by police. On Thursday, she said dropping the lawsuit was the only way to stop KTS followers from harassing and threatening him.
“Somehow, Swanson gets away with stuff, and you’ve got to have money for a lawyer to fight back,” she said.
“Adrian just wanted to let it go, and so far, it’s been good. No one’s been bothering him. He just wants to live a normal life. He’s a young fellow, and he didn’t deserve what he got.”
Kovar said Collins doesn’t want to comment publicly on the court case.
The lawsuit had sought in excess of $50,000 for compensatory damages and in excess of $50,000 for punitive damages.
Swanson declared victory on Monday after the lawsuit was dismissed, holding a Facebook Live chat with followers while leaving the Chester courthouse in his vehicle.
“The court case is finally done, and we have won,” Swanson said. “... The guy that was suing us decided not to show up to any of the court cases, so that helped us out a lot. ... It was just a long process, kind of a shitty situation. They were trying to sue us for $100,000.”
KTS is a nonprofit organization with more than 51,000 followers on its public Facebook page, KTS: Stop Sexual Assault.
Leaders post photos, videos and other information to expose and shame suspected pedophiles. They sometimes pose as underage girls online and lure men to various locations, presumably to have sex; videotape the confrontations and broadcast them on YouTube.
Leaders say their undercover operations have led to arrests, but they’ve also been criticized by law enforcement for vigilantism that can interfere with investigations and prosecutions.
Swanson has largely stayed out of sight since the lawsuit was filed in September. During the Facebook Live chat on Monday, he said the organization had suffered a “setback” but promised to come back strong.
“This Collins family thought they could scare us into stopping, and we’re not going to stop,” Swanson said. “... We are talking about countersuing them because they harass us. They harass our company. They harass a lot of people on the page. It’s been hell. ... But I’m definitely glad we’re back.”
Collins’ complaint had stated that he has Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. It can be characterized by awkward social behavior and difficulty understanding social rules, according to the Autism Society.
The complaint maintained that Swanson posted a private Facebook conversation between Collins and a decoy identified as “Jordan Lane” on a KTS Facebook page in June, falsely called it a “sex trafficking situation,” insinuated that Collins was “grooming” a 14-year-old girl and referred to him as “very creepy.”
The complaint also maintained that Collins never asked Lane’s age.
In the Facebook Live chat, Swanson restated his belief that Collins was in the wrong.
“He has autism, but he was also a security guard for a hospital, and even his family was putting out that he was going to go to a police academy here soon,” Swanson told followers. “If he can go to a police academy, I don’t think his autism’s that bad.”
Kovar said Collins filed a motion for voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit “without prejudice,” which means the family could take Swanson back to court if KTS starts defaming her grandson again.
Belleville attorney Megan Gilbreth filed the complaint for Collins on Sept. 4, 2020.
“Defendants maliciously and intentionally caused the publication of the false statements to a Facebook page with thousands of followers for the purpose of harming the Plaintiff’s good reputation,” it stated.
Since that time, the court case has been something of a roller-coaster. Here’s a timeline:
- Sept. 24, 2020 — Swanson files a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, representing himself.
- Sept. 25, 2020 — Judge Richard Brown denies the motion to dismiss.
- Oct. 16, 2020 — Gilbreth withdraws as counsel without giving a public reason.
- Oct. 19, 2020 — Swanson requests a different judge, arguing that Brown is friends with Collins’ father. Judge Gross later takes over.
- Dec. 3, 2020 — Collins’ new attorney, Benjamin Grohmann, files a motion for voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit.
- Dec. 7, 2020 — Swanson files a motion to dismiss.
- Dec. 10, 2020 — Grohmann withdraws Collins’ motion for voluntary dismissal. Judge Gross denies Swanson’s motion to dismiss after hearing arguments.
- Dec. 10, 2020 — Grohmann motions to withdraw as counsel.
- Dec. 28, 2020 — Judge Gross grants Grohmann’s motion to withdraw.
- Dec. 29, 2020 — Collins files a motion for voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit and requests a restraining order against Swanson, representing himself.
- March 22, 2021 — Judge Gross grants Collins’ motion for voluntary dismissal but denies his request for a restraining order.
Kovar said Collins struggled to find employment after he lost his job, eventually was hired at McDonald’s and quit after less than a month due to harassment by KTS followers. He still isn’t working, she said Thursday.
Swanson listed a Belleville address on court papers last fall. On Monday, he told followers that he had moved and started a new job but said he wasn’t going to reveal where.
Swanson thanked people who have been donating to the KTS cause.
“Unfortunately, we spent a lot of money on this court case,” he said. “So everybody that had subscribed to us and kept subscribing to us every month on our website, we appreciate you guys a lot. It helped us a lot.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
