BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Niky Sal, an influencer who led a campaign to catch suspected child predators online in Western New York, was taken to the hospital after a recent stabbing in Jamestown.
WIVB News 4 spoke with Niky earlier this month after video of an encounter at the Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga went viral on social media.
This effort is like a modern version of the old reality show, “Catch predators.” Along with his colleagues Paul Oyer and Ethan Haskins, Nicky went undercover on social media posing as minors in an attempt to catch adults who preyed on minors.
“What we do is we have decoy accounts. We just put them out there and we never send the first message. Once the first message is sent, nine times out of ten it gets worse very quickly, especially when we age down and they know the age of the minor,” Nikki said in an earlier interview with News 4.
Nicki explained how personal this endeavor is to him in an interview earlier this month.
“When I was 9 years old, I was a victim,” Nikki said at the time. “I think that motivated me to do what I did today.”
Things took a dramatic turn Saturday when Nikki and his team encountered a man in Jamestown who they say believed he was there to meet a 14-year-old girl.
Nikki suffered a severe laceration to her arm and ended up in the hospital.
Nikki Sal is recovering in hospital following the incident. (Photo: Ethan Haskins)
“He’s been released from the hospital,” Oyers said. “We came home and he couldn’t move his fingers, he couldn’t move his hands.”
An artery was severed during the attack and Nikki lost feeling in his arm. Now, he needs surgery.
“He had quite a bit of damage to his injured arm,” Haskins said. “We’re a little concerned about liquidity and things like that.”
James Morris, 43, was arrested on multiple charges related to the incident, including first-degree assault, according to Jamestown police. He was arraigned and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail.
James Morris, 43, was arrested in connection with the incident and charged with first-degree assault and several other charges. (Jamestown Police Department)
Now, going forward, Nicki’s team says that while the road to recovery may be long, there won’t be anything slowing Nicki down once he’s back on his feet.
“When we saw him last night in the hospital, there’s no indication right now that it’s slowing him down, it’s stopping him,” Haskins said. “We’ve got to get this recovery done and then we can get to work and move forward and fight the good fight.”
As Niky continues to recover from his injuries, a gofundme page has been set up to help with medical expenses.
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Rob Petree is an anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. Click here to see more of his work.
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