Child safeguarding volunteer group “People v. Preds” (PvP) is taking credit for the arrest of a disabled Pinterest employee who allegedly attempted to lure a 14-year-old boy to his Torrance, California home.
In footage from the January 12 sting, Drew Soule, 30, can be seen being arrested by Torrance Police after the predator hunters confronted him in his home. Soule had been communicating with a decoy established by PvP portraying himself as an underage boy.
While Soule initially attempted to deny that he had arranged to meet with a minor, PvP revealed they had the entirety of their conversations where the decoy clearly stated his age. During their recorded confrontation, Soule remained arrogant and refused to concede that he had done anything wrong.
At one point during the confrontation, Soule accuses the predator hunter of “impersonating people” and being on drugs.
“Dude no, you’re literally so high, are you doing drugs right now?” he pleads. “I’m in a wheelchair—what the f*ck are you trying to say to me?”
After being stonewalled by Soule, PvP contacts Torrance Police, and records their interaction with a bewildered officer.
“I’ve never done this before. I’ve never done something like this… We do our best to take everybody into custody,” one of the officers says, noting they need to make special transport arrangements to bring Soule into the station. It is unclear at this time whether charges were pressed.
PvP posted the original arrest video to their Rumble on February 12, labeling Soule the 360th predator catch they had made since their group had been established.
While the initial upload received little credit outside of PvP’s die-hard supporters, clips from the catch have now gone viral after political commentator Oli London shared them to X, noting Soule’s unusual demeanor throughout the video.
But it has now come to light that Soule was working as a Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Pinterest at the time of his arrest, prompting even more interest in his case.
Soule is afflicted with SMA type 2, or spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive and sometimes fatal disease. He is confined to a powerchair, and often used his severe physical disability as a point of activism in his career.
In 2016 while still a student at the University of Illinois getting his degree in Public Policy, Soule raised over $30,000 via GoFundMe to purchase an accessible vehicle.
Speaking to SMA News Today two years ago, Soule described how he overcame his circumstances to find a career.
“My parents are by far my biggest inspiration in life, as they’ve worked extremely hard to overcome adversity in their own lives. They taught us that hard work truly does pay off, which is the mindset I embody every day,” Soule said, adding: “You will only be afforded one opportunity to prove yourself.”
Soule was profiled on Pinterest Careers, but the page, titled “Create Belongings: Meet PinAble Global Leads,” appears to have been hastily scrubbed following his run-in with the predator hunters. The page was posted by Pinterest Pinclusion Group, and celebrated “the talents and achievements of workers with disabilities.”
On the page, Soule penned his own profile, writing: “As someone born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, I am deeply committed to advancing access and equity for individuals in wheelchairs. I work closely with a non-profit organization, striving to make air travel more inclusive and accommodating for everyone.”
Pinterest has not released any public statements about Soule.
