Cookeville, TN-- A father in Tennessee didn't wait for the police to deal with a man trying to pickup his daughter on social media.
Police said the father took matters into his own hands and setup a sting. According to investigators in Cookesville, TN, Christopher Strode noticed something odd on his 12 year-old daughter's facebook page. It was a private message from a grown man, according to the dad.
Strode said he followed the link and found the man's cell phone number online. So, he texted the man, posing as his daughter.
The man wrote back and, at one point, allegedly wanted to see a picture of her in a swimsuit.
Things escalated Sunday when the father, again posing as his daughter agreed to meet the man at a local Park.
When the man showed up police said, the man found the girl's father. Strobe told officers when he saw the man he punched him in the face.
Maj. Nathan Honeycutt with the Cookeville Police told WSVM that "As a father, I can see how he got to that point. But in law enforcement, I don't get to pick and choose which laws to enforce on my own. It wouldn't have been my course of action."
According to the police report, Strode hit the man so hard he drew blood. The man later told police he deserved to be punched but said he just wanted to befriend the girl.
The man who was punched turned over his cell phone to authorities, so for now police will search for additional messages and additional potential victims.
No charges have been filed, but police are still investigating.