A social media influencer who built a following by attempting to expose alleged child predators is now facing criminal charges himself after a coffee shop encounter turned violent and ended with him being stabbed.
Nicholas Attalla, widely recognized online as Niky Sal, has been charged with third-degree assault, second-degree criminal nuisance and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the December 2025 confrontation that sent him to the hospital, according to court records. Attalla has entered not guilty pleas to the charges.
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According to a Jamestown Police Department release provided to Oxygen, the incident unfolded at about 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2025, when Attalla arrived at a Tim Hortons in Jamestown, New York, expecting to meet someone he had been messaging online.
Police said Attalla, a civilian who conducts predator-style sting operations reminiscent of “To Catch a Predator,” had posed online as a 14-year-old girl while communicating on a dating site with a person presenting himself as a 16-year-old boy.
That online exchange led to an arranged meeting at the Jamestown coffee shop, where the situation quickly escalated.
Once there, police said Attalla confronted James Morris, 43, and Eric Spencer, 42, and accused Morris of trying to meet up with a minor after threatening him “solely off the phone conversation and his voice.”
A fight broke out and Attalla was stabbed in the arm. Police previously identified Morris in an earlier release as the attacker.
According to authorities, the fight spilled over directly onto a 1-year-old and put the baby’s family and others in the coffee shop at risk.
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Morris was taken into custody and charged with first degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and tampering with physical evidence. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, according to court records.
Spencer was also arrested in January and charged with second-degree criminal nuisance and endangering the welfare of a child. His court records were not available and its unclear whether he has entered a plea.
After the incident, police continued their investigation by interviewing witnesses, obtaining video footage and executing a search warrant on cellular devices.
“Through cellular phone search warrants,” police said, “investigators confirmed that there was no phone contact between Attalla, Morris or Spencer leading up to the confrontation.”
As a result of the investigation, police also charged Attalla. Jamestown Police Chief Scott Forster told Oxygen that Attalla turned himself into authorities on Sept. 4.
Forster declined to provide any additional details about the case.
Oxygen reached out to attorneys representing both Attalla and Morris, but did not receive an immediate reply.