A Youngstown man has been charged after telling police he accidentally fired an assault-style rifle in Crandall Park while trying to capture a man he suspected of preying on young boys.

Officers sent to the park on the city’s Northside Wednesday evening to investigate reports of shots being fired were looking for shell casings or other evidence of gunfire when 9-1-1 got a call from 18-year-old Curtis Carver who claimed he was at the park earlier.

"I saw YouTube videos of people trying to catch predators," Carver told 21 News. "It's a lot of people you may not suspect, but there's a lot of them around. You just never know."

Police went to Carver’s home where he told officers he convinced a man he met on the LGBTQ+ dating app, Scruff, that he was 17 years old and said he had a 15-year-old brother who could come with him to meet the man in the park.

According to the police report, Carver told officers he likes to play "To Catch a Predator with guys trying to have sex with underage boys." Carver told 21 News he's attempted to set up a handful of men, but none of them have ever been charged. 

To Catch a Predator was an NBC reality television series featuring stings partly filmed with hidden cameras of adults arriving at a house to have sex with a minor and typically being arrested.

Carver said when the man approached him in the park, he asked Carver for a “hug” and then suggested that he perform a sex act on him. 

"I felt like scared, scared," Carver explained. "My heart was beating and I was shaking I was so nervous. When he got close, I was like, 'yeah, something could go wrong."

According to the YPD police report, Carver said he pulled out the rifle he had hidden in a trash can and began chasing the man, saying he hoped to hold him until police arrived.

Carver said the gun accidentally fired during the chase toward the ground. The man got away, but Carver gave police a description of his car and the license plate number.

Officers recovered the AR-15 rifle and magazine from Carver's home.

"I got a little sister," Carver said. "You have to take notes on who your kids are talking to or who your brother and sisters are talking to because they can get abducted and they can get traumatized. People are strange."

Police haven’t said if they’ll file charges against the man who got away.  However, Carver was issued a misdemeanor summons for violating an ordinance that prohibits the discharging of a firearm within city limits.

Carver said he was surprised at just how quickly he was able to find the man online and learn of his intentions. He said he's worried about just how many predators there are throughout this region.

"There's a lot more people around," he said. "It's not even just around here. It's everywhere you go."

Law enforcement old Carver to stop his attempts at catching child predators, to ensure not only law enforcement's safety but also his own. 

21 News reached out to YPD and the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office for comment and did not hear back Friday night.