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Ariel Winter Goes Undercover as 12-Year-Old to Catch Online Predator

She drew on her experiences as a former child actor to partner with SOSA for a YouTube sting that identified a predator in Oklahoma City

Modern Family star Ariel Winter posed as a 12-year-old on SOSA Undercvoer, a true crime series.
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Overview

  • Ariel Winter, best known for Modern Family, went undercover as a 12-year-old girl on the YouTube docuseries SOSA Undercover produced by Safe from Online Sex Abuse.
  • She donned a blonde wig, used a softer voice and posed in a bedroom set to lure a 31-year-old suspect into a FaceTime interaction monitored by law enforcement.
  • Authorities in Oklahoma City confronted the man on camera as part of the sting, leading to his identification as a predator suspected of grooming minors.
  • Winter called the operation cathartic and validating, saying it felt empowering to help put predators harming children behind bars.
  • Her decision to participate was driven by her own childhood experiences with grooming and body-shaming in the entertainment industry.