Ariel Winter, known for her role in ABC’s Modern Family, participated in a covert operation aimed at capturing a child predator when she was just 12 years old. “Since I started working in Hollywood at such a young age, I’m well-acquainted with male predators,” she shared.
Winter portrayed Alex Dunphy on Modern Family and was involved in a secret investigation led by SAFE’s nonprofit organization, known as Online Sex Abuse (SOSA), which sought to apprehend a predator targeting children.
The operation was featured in the true-crime documentary Sosa Undercover, where the 27-year-old actress pretended to be a 12-year-old girl to lure a 31-year-old man in Oklahoma City.
“I know male predators all too well. I began my career at just 4 years old in Hollywood,” she remarked during an interview.
“I prefer not to delve too deeply, but during my time online, I faced a barrage of inappropriate messages from older men, which was quite traumatic for me,” said the voice actress.
Winter expressed, “The online experiences I had from a young age really left a mark on me, and I eventually sought therapy because of it. The film and television industry is riddled with darkness.”
“Growing up in entertainment, I was essentially the girl we wanted to save,” she noted. “It matters to me to protect young women from what I went through.”
Earlier this year, leading up to the March 20 release of the series, SOSA shared a clip on Instagram showcasing Winter as she engaged in a video chat with the accused predator while disguised with a blonde wig, mimicking a young girl.
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“This issue has been persistent, but with the rise of the digital era, it has escalated to alarming levels, becoming increasingly manipulative,” Winter continued. “Predators have unprecedented access to children nowadays, and it’s frightening.”
“We need to shed light on this issue and combat it,” Winter emphasized, acknowledging that the documentary realistically depicts crimes that lead to arrests.
Winter commended SOSA for their efforts in “unearthing truths and ensuring these offenders are taken off the streets.”
“While it’s a challenging job, it’s incredibly rewarding to know we’ve protected even one child,” she said.
Reflecting on her role in the SOSA operation, Winter expressed her shock at the sheer number of men attempting to engage with young girls around the ages of 12 or 13.
“It’s in the hundreds of thousands,” she stated.
