Online Vigilante's Sting Catches Bay City Healthcare Worker

Online Vigilante Exposes Man Attempting to Solicit Underage Girl for Sex

A Bay City man is now facing serious criminal charges after an online vigilante uncovered his attempts to solicit what he believed was an underage girl for sexual purposes. The incident began in May when a 31-year-old woman from Washtenaw County contacted local police with information about a potential predator.

The woman, who describes herself as someone who works to “identify and expose online predators,” runs a decoy social media account where she poses as a minor. She claimed that 34-year-old Michael M. Leppek had recently reached out to her through the app MeetMe, which connects users based on shared interests.

MeetMe has strict policies against minors using the platform, so Leppek and the decoy moved their conversations to another app called TextMe. The woman provided law enforcement with copies of their text exchanges, which revealed disturbing details about Leppek’s intentions.

During their interactions, the decoy told Leppek she was 14 years old and a virgin, while Leppek claimed to be 34. He allegedly asked if she wanted to gain experience and mentioned that they “can’t do anything ‘fun’ for about a year” because “16 is the age of consent.” He also inquired about her family life and invited her to visit his house for several nights. They discussed plans for him to pick her up and take her to his Bay City residence for a sexual encounter, according to court records.

Leppek reportedly expressed a desire to take the decoy’s virginity on her bed. In one message, he wrote, “This is super risky for me, but you seem like a good person, and if you’re gonna hang out with someone older, I at least know I’ll treat you well.” He added, “I can only imagine if you tried the wrong dude.”

Their communication continued over several days. At one point, Leppek told the decoy that he worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at McLaren Bay Region hospital. He sent her a selfie of himself wearing scrubs, and he allegedly asked her to send him a photo of herself showering.

The woman became concerned when Leppek mentioned picking up the decoy from a McDonald’s in Jackson on May 16. She then alerted the police, who later interviewed Leppek at the hospital on May 21. During the interview, Leppek admitted he had made a mistake and promised not to repeat it. He stated he knew the conversations were wrong but was drawn to the attention from the decoy. He also said he would not have met up with her if given the chance.

Leppek handed over his phone and passcode to the police, who confirmed that the messages matched those provided by the woman. It was later revealed that Leppek was not actually a CNA but worked as a patient care associate, a position that does not require a license.

McLaren’s leadership took swift action upon learning of the allegations. They immediately suspended Leppek and later terminated his employment. A spokesperson for the hospital, Dave Jones, stated that the allegations are “disturbing” and do not reflect the organization’s values or standards.

On June 13, prosecutors charged Leppek with two felony counts: accosting a minor for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime. These charges carry potential sentences of four and seven years in prison, respectively. Leppek voluntarily appeared for arraignment in Bay County District Court on June 16 and is scheduled for a preliminary examination on July 31.