Actress Ariel Winter, known for her longtime role on Modern Family, has revealed a major shift in her career path—one that sees her going undercover to help catch child sexual predators.
Most people remember Winter as Alex Dunphy, the book-smart middle child from the ABC sitcom, which aired from 2009 until 2020. Alongside her castmates, she won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series four years in a row, from 2010 to 2013.
Speaking to PEOPLE magazine on May 7, Winter shared that she began working with SOSA “a couple of years ago” and has become deeply involved with their work.
“They’re an amazing organisation,” she explained. The nonprofit uses women to pose as minors online, arranging sting operations that lure in would-be predators. Once a meeting is set, local police step in to make the arrest.
Winter said she first became aware of SOSA after watching the TV show Undercover Underage with her boyfriend, actor Luke Benward. The show documented the organisation’s operations and struck a deep chord with her.
“The show just impacted me deeply because I was that kid so many times over that was preyed upon in person online,” she shared. “I was just like, God, I would love to be able to help be a part of that.”
Opening up about what it’s like to pretend to be a minor online, she added: “You’d be blown away by the number of people you encounter [who are Internet predators]. It could be anyone.”
“The person sitting next to you or sleeping next to you. They don’t look like the ‘monsters’ you think they would.”
“I didn’t realise it would bring up some of the things past traumas for me that it did, but when you’re in disguise as a 12-year-old and someone is telling you what they’re going to do to your 12-year-old body… it’s hard,” she said, speaking candidly.
Winter also issued a reminder to parents and caregivers: “Parents think, ‘I love my child, I’m present in their lives, they have friends, this wouldn’t happen to them.’ But it can and does happen to anybody.”
Sharing how her involvement in these missions has helped her on a personal level, she said: “I experienced a lot in my time in this industry and a lot just in so many other areas.”
“I feel so lucky to have come out where I have now.”
Children looking for support can contact Childline for free at 0800 1111, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.