YouTube allegedly stiffs LI predator hunters who caught teacher in sexting sting operation
Accused perv teacher Mark Verity is fronted up in October. YouTube / Predator Poachers Long Island
The Long Island vigilante group behind the widely publicized sting of an alleged predatory elementary-school music teacher says it has yet to receive more than $25,000 in earnings from YouTube.
Michael Villani, leader of the Long Island Predator Poachers, told The Post that his channel, which had over 47,000 subscribers, was deleted just days before a scheduled payout. “Our account was terminated on Nov. 16, YouTube was supposed to put the money in our account on the 21st,” Villani said.
Villani’s group claims to have caught around 17 suspected predators between Oct. 1 and Nov. 14, including Wading River teacher Mark Verity, a married father of two toddlers. The Verity sting alone reportedly generated more than $6,000 from YouTube ad revenue and donations. The group says YouTube now owes a total of $25,500, including contributions from supporters.
“YouTube is actively preventing those who seek to protect kids from child predators and stealing from them as well as their supporters,” Villani said.
A YouTube spokesperson defended the account’s removal, saying, “The channel in question was correctly terminated from YouTube for repeated violations of our Community Guidelines, which prohibit portraying in-person sting operations designed to accuse someone of egregious misconduct with a minor, without the presence of law enforcement.” The spokesperson did not clarify whether the group would be paid the money accrued before the deletion or if donor refunds would be issued.
Villani denied multiple violations, saying the channel had received only one strike for a short-form video that did not fully depict police officers, a requirement for this type of content. The group said law enforcement was present during all stings and that the omission was unintentional. They deleted the video after the strike, but their account was terminated days later, and an appeal was denied.
“My biggest hope with this is that YouTube changes their policy,” Villani said.
Verity has been charged with attempting to send sexual messages to a minor and trying to involve a child in a sexual act.
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