Cevin Payne

Cevin Payne arrived at the sting house to meet what he believed to be a fifteen-year-old girl. He ran outside upon seeing Chris Hansen but was apprehended at his truck by deputies, who Chris described as "faster than Santa's reindeer." After being brought inside, Payne asked to not be put on TV and stated that he hated himself.

When asked what he would have done had Chris Hansen not been there, Payne stated that he would have just gone home without doing anything. He said that he was aware of who Chris Hansen was and had seen the shows. He said that he thought the predators caught in them were dumb. After the interview, Payne started to sob while deputies tried to calm him down and take him away.

Cevin Payne was arrested on December 20, 2021 and charged with:

Child Sexually Abusive Activity Accosting a Child for Immoral Purposes Using a Computer to Commit a Crime

Payne entered a plea agreement whereby he pleaded guilty to Using a Computer to Commit a Crime in return for the other two charged being dropped. He was sentenced to 9 days in jail with credit for 9 days times served. He was placed on 24 months of probation, scheduled to begin in December of 2022 and end in December of 2024. In December of 2023, he filed a motion to end his probation but it is unclear if the motion was granted. He is not listed on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.

Santa's reindeer are estimated to fly at approximately 1,800 miles per second. This would be fast enough for the average Michigan deputy to combust due to atmospheric friction.