A predator hunters group had provided police information on a Cranberry Township man before he was charged with attempting to solicit child sexual abuse material earlier this week — showcasing a way that the group and a police department might be able to work together.

According to police, Eric Zachary Trylko, 32, said he believed he was speaking with a 13-year-old boy when he requested photos and videos over the app Telegram of the child performing sexual acts and described sexual acts to the child.

He was instead speaking with a representative of Predator Poachers, an online group that investigates people attempting to communicate inappropriately with children online. The representative was posing as the 13-year-old.

In this case, Predator Poachers approached the Cranberry Township police about the incident. A 911 call to a Cranberry Township address indicated the Predator Poachers were at a home and trying to confront Trylko.

Related Article: Police: Cranberry man sent explicit messages to pedophile-catching group member posing as 13-year-old

Police then conducted their own investigation into Trylko and charged him Wednesday, Sept. 23, with one felony count each of criminal attempt to receive child sexual abuse material and criminal use of a communication facility following their investigation.

Trylko was working as a state auditor who was receiving a salary of $72,225 as of Aug. 15, according to PennWATCH.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger declined to comment on the charges.

Beaver County District Attorney Nathan Bible recently declined to file charges in a case where evidence was collected by another group, 814PredHunters.

Bible said he couldn’t file charges against the person accused in this recent incident because Pennsylvania law requires the involvement of either a minor or law enforcement impersonating a minor for the communication to be criminal. Otherwise, it’s a conversation between two adults.

The predator hunters, citing the appeal of Commonwealth v. Aguilar in Commonwealth Superior Court in 2025, say no minor or officer involvement is required to be charged with criminal attempt.

But Bible has been concerned they’re misinterpreting the ruling.

In the Beaver County case, 814PredHunters leader Brian Knepp claimed the organization contacted Rochester police earlier this year with evidence alleging a man was attempting to solicit child sexual abuse material. The evidence was gathered during alleged conversations between the man and a representative from 814PredHunters posing as a child.

In September, the man was charged in a different incident with felony firearm possession while prohibited and one misdemeanor count each of luring a child into a vehicle, corruption of minors and resisting arrest. The charges followed a Sept. 10 incident involving a 14-year-old girl walking home from school.

Knepp in a statement said the 814PredHunters “firmly believes” that if an arrest was made sooner, the later incident wouldn’t have happened.

Knepp and Alex Rosen, the leader of Predator Poachers — the group who aided in the Cranberry Township operation where charges were filed — argued Pennsylvania Superior Court appeal case Commonwealth v. Aguilar determined a minor or law enforcement officer does not have to be present when charging with criminal attempt.

“They can charge other things besides unlawful contact with a minor charge,” Rosen said.

The opinion issued in Commonwealth v. Aguilar, indicates in criminal attempt: corruption of minors that there’s “no requirement that the Commonwealth prove appellee actually corrupted the morals of a minor.”

“One is guilty of attempt when, with intent to commit a specific crime, he does any act which constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of that crime,” the ruling said.

Bible said the Superior Court case was appealing the dismissal of corruption of minors charges during a suppression hearing in Monroe County Common Pleas Court.

Therefore, the opinion about corruption of minors not requiring a minor or officer does not set a precedent and was not the intended ruling because it wasn’t the subject of the appeal.

Bible said the criminal code and instructions given to jurors in such cases require a minor or officer posing as a minor to be involved.

“There’s obviously some defense attorneys out there who don’t know that because they’re pleading guilty to things that technically aren’t crimes,” Bible said.

He said some district attorneys are misinterpreting the ruling as well.

Several cases that don’t include minors or police posing as minors have been brought in the state. He hasn’t seen any be successful, according to Bible.

“We don’t want to have to expel time and resources to have cases overturned on appeal,” Bible said.

Most of the rulings challenging whether a child or officer must be involved have come from rural counties near the center of the state, he added.

“Everyone wants to lock up pedophiles. There’s no question about it,” Bible said, noting he feels his relationship with 814PredHunters is trending positive.

“I’m certainly willing to try, and I think we have a better understanding now between my office and the 814 group,” Bible said. “If we’re going to have any success with it, there’s a procedure we need to follow.”

Rosen, who has been part of Predator Poachers for seven years and boasts convictions in 47 states — including more than 10 in Pennsylvania — is confident Cranberry Township police’s charges against Trylko will stick.

“The reason it’s going to hold up is the fact that (if) it’s not a kid doesn’t negate the criminal attempt,” he said.

Rosen said the interaction with Trylko involved one of the group’s members posing as a 13-year-old boy on Telegram.

Rosen eventually tracked down Trylko’s home address and confronted him with his chat logs.

Cranberry Township police said Trylko admitted to exchanging communications with who he thought was a 13-year-old. According to the criminal complaint, he also told police he previously received images and videos of other children he communicated with engaged in sexual acts.

Trylko is represented by attorney Kevin Chernosky, of David J. Shrager & Associates, who said he was familiar with the Beaver County case and 814PredHunters. He said he also understood the law requires communication to be with a minor or law enforcement posing as a minor to be illegal.

“It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out,” Chernosky said.

Trylko’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 6 before District Judge Kevin Flaherty.