A Florida resident has filed a lawsuit alleging defamation and emotional distress against two individuals and an organization known for exposing alleged predators online. The complaint, filed by Jacob Milewsky in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County on June 17, 2024, targets Samantha E. Dardy, Cody John Hamelers, and their website "OFFICIALPTI.COM," doing business as "Protect the Innocent."
According to the court documents, Milewsky claims that in early 2022 he was contacted on a dating website by an individual who later revealed they were about to turn 15. Unbeknownst to Milewsky, this individual was allegedly a fictitious persona created by Dardy and Hamelers as part of their operation to expose adults seeking inappropriate relationships with minors. Despite no sexual content in their exchanges and his refusal to meet the supposed minor, Dardy and Hamelers reportedly went to Milewsky's home on June 18, 2022. They recorded interactions with his parents, accusing him of engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a child.
The video of this encounter was posted on Protect the Innocent’s YouTube channel and website under a section labeled “Predators.” It depicted Milewsky as a predator attempting to molest a minor. Despite police investigations finding no evidence of sexual intent in Milewsky's messages, the defamatory video remained online.
Milewsky's complaint argues that these actions have severely damaged his reputation and caused significant emotional distress. He asserts that Dardy and Hamelers acted with malice by knowingly publishing false statements about him. “The intentional publication of the accusations that Milewsky was a ‘Predator’ were not only false but also extreme and outrageous under the circumstances,” states the complaint.
Milewsky is seeking compensatory damages exceeding $50,000 for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Additionally, he requests temporary and permanent injunctions to remove all defamatory content from Protect the Innocent’s platforms.
Representing Milewsky is attorney Luke Lirot from Luke Charles Lirot P.A., while Judge Ken Burke will preside over Case Number: 24-002709-CI.