YouTuber Vitaly sued by man in ‘Catching Predators’ video for “physical and mental abuse”
Instagram/vitalythegoatKick streamer and YouTuber Vitaly is being sued over his ‘Catching Predators’ series after a man alleged that he was entrapped by the creator and subjected to abuse.
In May 2024, Vitaly Zdorovetskiy teamed up with rapper Ty Dolla $ign, Adin Ross and others with the aim of catch sexual predators in content similar to Chris Hansen’s famous ‘To Catch a Predator’ series.
While the streams have proven to be quite successful viewership-wise, the content has now landed him in hot water legally.
A new lawsuit filed in California by a man named Daniel Prieto Jr. alleges that Vitaly wrongfully accused him of being a predator.
The 17-count lawsuit, shared on X by Attorney Jason Morrin, alleges that Vitaly and his crew physically and mentally abused Prieto in what he claims was a “vicious attack.”
Vitaly and his team are accused of chanting “certified loverboy” and “certified pedophile” at the man, who they claimed was trying to meet with a 15-year-old boy.
The plaintiff, however, argues that he was “engaging in consensual adult communication” on the website before being “entrapped” by the Kick streamer.
Additionally, Prieto Jr. says Vitaly edited a TikTok of the encounter in order to “maximize public outrage” and destroy his reputation.
So far, Vitaly hasn’t responded to the lawsuit, but for now, his Catching Predators series is on hold having completed the “first season.”
On May 23, Vitaly revealed just how successful his show was, stating that the first season netted him over 1 billion impressions.
“We successfully finished Season 1 of Predators Take Downs, 11 days, 33 pedos have been caught, exposed, some of them arrested and the rest will be prosecuted,” he said before thanking Kick for giving him a platform. “This is just the beginning for us, but now the real question is…Who is ready for Season 2?”
While Zdorovetskiy is excited about taking his content to the next level, it’s unclear what impact this lawsuit will have on future seasons.