Former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen and a film crew were on the scene during a child predator sting in San Francisco last month, which was not announced during last week's press conference.

Deputies with the San Francisco Sheriff's Office were caught unaware during last month’s child exploitation undercover operation when Chris Hansen, the former host of NBC’s To Catch a Predator showed up with a film crew, as the Chronicle reported last week.

Hansen and his crew reportedly confronted some of the men who were arrested during the operation, which will presumably be featured in his latest series, Takedown with Chris Hansen, on Hansen's TruBlu network.

The deputies’ union said its members were not formally briefed or consulted on the arrangement, including some rank-and-file officials. Additionally, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins didn’t disclose Hansen’s involvement when they announced the arrests last week.

Tara Moriarty, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, told the Chronicle that Hansen had expressed interest in observing and participating in one of the department’s operations, adding that the partnership formed after the Sheriff’s Office conducted similar operations during this year’s Super Bowl and World Cup festivities.

Moriarty said that, despite Hansen’s presence, the July 29 and 30 operations were “planned, directed, and carried out by law enforcement.” Authorities released drone footage captured from above of the operation, which can be seen via ABC 7.

According to the Chronicle, Danilo Quintanilla, president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, acknowledged that the involvement of a television personality in an active investigation “may understandably generate scrutiny and questions about the role of media in law enforcement operations.” However, Quintanilla also said Hansen’s long-running work exposing online child exploitation could bring additional attention to the issue.

Per the Chronicle, Hansen has faced criticism from journalists over his undercover methods and relationships with law enforcement while also attracting a large following. Hansen will reportedly be portrayed by Robert Pattinson in Primetime, an upcoming A24 feature film (which looks like a horror film from the trailer) about his child predator sting operations.

Previously: Five Men Arrested In San Francisco In Child-Exploitation Sting Operation

Image: Chris Hansen; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Samsung