A college student from California used a Snapchat filter to disguise himself as a female and managed to catch a sexual predator. The 20-year-old student, who was only identified by his first name, Ethan, used the filter to create a photo for a Tinder profile under the name "Esther."

Tinder only allows adults to sign up, so "Esther" listed her age as 19. It wasn't long before a male had contacted her and the two began chatting. They moved their conversations off of Tinder, and Esther told the 40-year-old man that she was just 16.

The man, who was identified as San Mateo Police Officer Robert Davies, acknowledged her young age and the two continued to talk on Snapchat.

"Davies then asked her to switch to Snapchat where they also discussed her being 16 years old, and chatted about engaging in sexual activity," the San Jose Police Department said.

Once the conversations turned sexual in nature, Ethan contacted the authorities, and Davies was taken into custody. He was charged with contacting a minor to commit a felony and booked at the Santa Clara County Jail. He has been placed on paid administrative leave, and San Mateo police Chief Susan Manheimer released a statement about the arrest.

"This alleged conduct, if true, is in no way a reflection of all that we stand for as a Department, and is an affront to the tenets of our department and our profession as a whole. As San Mateo police officers, we have sworn an oath to serve and protect our communities. I can assure you that we remain steadfast to this commitment to serving our community with professionalism, integrity, and excellence."

Photo: San Jose Police Department