An online-video creator who tried to gain popularity by simulating fake crimes has been arrested and charged with attempted public mischief, police in Gatineau, Que., said Thursday.
Police in the western Quebec city said Anthony Gagné, 27, recorded himself pretending to commit crimes and posted the videos on social media platforms in an effort to attract a response from law enforcement.
The investigation into Gagné began in May, after police said he tried to lure children by driving a van with the words “free candy” printed on the side — an act that led concerned citizens to call 911, Gatineau police Const. Patrick Kenney said.
“In this case here, we know that the crime wasn’t real. We know he wasn’t acting with the goal of attracting children to commit a crime. It was to make a video,” Kenney said in an interview.
Police then searched the man’s video archive and allegedly found more fake-crime videos.
“When investigators began to scrape through the social networks, they realized that Mr. Gagné had been making videos like this, with the same flavour, since 2021, with the goal of attracting attention. The majority of posts he published on social media were aimed at attracting police,” Kenney said.
Gagné was charged Wednesday with attempted public mischief and released on several conditions, including that he stop posting content for his roughly 500,000 followers on various social media platforms, including YouTube.
During a search of the accused’s home, police seized three cellphones, a tablet and a laptop computer, as well as fake blood, a ski mask and a gas mask.
Police said the RCMP had warned Gagné to stop making fake-crime videos in 2022 after he had allegedly filmed himself doing a stunt to attract the attention of the United States FBI.