Indian-Origin Professor Caught In Sting Operation While Trying To Meet A 14-Year-Old Boy

An Indian-origin associate professor at the University of California, San Diego, is facing scrutiny after a viral video showed him being confronted in an alleged online child predator sting. According to San Diego Ville, the sting was conducted by the California-based group People vs. Predators. Widely shared social media footage shows activists confronting Nisarg Jaydeep Shah at a supermarket, where he allegedly intended to meet a 14-year-old boy.

In the video, activist Tim Johnson, who claims to have exposed over 500 suspected predators, confronted Mr Shah about explicit conversations allegedly held on Grindr. Screenshots shared by the activist purportedly show Mr Shah claiming to be 28 and engaging in sexually explicit chats, even after the decoy mentioned being "bout to be 15."

During the confrontation, Nisarg Shah repeatedly expressed remorse, saying he feels "horrible, the worst I've ever felt" and calling his actions "abhorrent." In extended footage outside the store, Mr Shah admitted to bringing personal lubricant and a douche, claiming they were to help the person he believed he was meeting "get ready" and "prep." He repeatedly said, "I f**ked up," and suggested, "I need to get help or something, maybe."

A photo reportedly showed Mr Shah in handcuffs, though SanDiegoVille stated he was only briefly detained and released at the scene.

San Diego Police have confirmed an ongoing investigation. SDPD Lt Travis Easter said, "We are aware of the incident and our ICAC unit is actively investigating it. There have not been any charges made yet."

"Our ICAC unit will typically not work with civilians acting as undercover operatives and does not condone such activities because the training involved in conducting these investigations consists of hours of intense legal training," Mr Easter was quoted as saying by SanDiegoVille.

Nisarg Shah, a UC San Diego associate professor specialising in immunoengineering and nanoscale materials, holds a Ph.D. from MIT and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. He teaches and leads a research lab at UCSD.

In response to the allegations against its faculty member, UC San Diego committed to fully cooperating with authorities, emphasising its dedication to campus safety and a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct.