Crime & Justice

Chris Hansen says DC police lieutenant caught in recent child-solicitation sting

Megyn Kelly Show · The Most SHOCKING Chris Hansen Predator Confrontations · July 24, 2026

Megyn Kelly Show

The Most SHOCKING Chris Hansen Predator Confrontations

"We had a guy show up in that sting who was a lieutenant with the Metro DC Police Department in our nation's capital. He had been on the force for 20 plus years. He was in charge of dignitary motorcade processions including that of the president of the United States and other visiting heads of state."

Chris Hansen tells Megyn Kelly that a recent sting in Harford County, Maryland, allegedly ensnared a Metro DC Police Department lieutenant who he says oversaw dignitary motorcades, including for the US president. Hansen says the man had been chatting for more than 30 days with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy and sent “graphic pictures” from police facilities, prompting officers to detain him outside the sting house for safety.

About this episode

Megyn Kelly interviews journalist and television host Chris Hansen about confrontations from his “To Catch a Predator” and “Takedown” investigations, using selected clips to discuss how stings are structured and why suspects often continue engaging after being challenged. Hansen recounts cases involving men who arrived at sting houses naked, including one suspect he says later left the US before trial and relocated to Trinidad and Tobago. Kelly plays footage from a 2016 encounter with Jeff Sokol, and Hansen claims Sokol brought a “marriage contract” intended to shield him from prosecution; Hansen further says Sokol later sought a legal name change that a judge refused to seal.

Hansen also describes operational practices: working with law-enforcement “chatters” to reduce evidentiary disputes over chain of custody, and using decoys affiliated with police agencies with safety protocols if an interaction turns risky. He argues suspects have not successfully sued him because, he says, the criminal solicitation is established in chat logs in many states.

The most consequential new allegation comes when Hansen says that, in a Maryland operation “just a couple months ago”, a Metro DC Police Department lieutenant with responsibility for dignitary motorcades, including presidential movements, was caught after allegedly sending explicit material and arriving to meet someone he believed to be a 15-year-old boy. The episode includes a mid-roll advertisement for gold investment services and closes with a subscription pitch.

Key takeaways

Hansen describes a recent Harford County, Maryland sting in which he alleges a Metro DC Police lieutenant with dignitary-motorcade duties was caught attempting to meet a purported 15-year-old boy.
He says the alleged suspect’s online contact lasted “30 plus days” and involved sending “graphic pictures” from police facilities.
Hansen claims Jeff Sokol carried a “marriage contract” intended to deter prosecution, and later unsuccessfully tried to change his name in court.
He says prosecutions can often be secured primarily through chat logs, especially when law enforcement conducts the online communications.
Hansen outlines safety practices for decoys and the role of law enforcement in taking over when an encounter “goes sideways.”]}}}}]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }]} }
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