'Riverdale' Star Marisol Nichols Worked As An Undercover Secret Agent IRL

Marisol Nichols might be best known as Hermione Lodge on The CW's Riverdale, but her job before rising to acting stardom is even more impressive.

She recently revealed that over the past five years she has been hunting child sex predators as an undercover secret agent.

Marisol shared her story with Marie Claire in a recent interview, and now Deadline reports that Sony Television is developing her story into brand new series.

To sum up her experience, she told the magazine that she's helped as many as six child-sex stings around the world.

Netflix)

The gig was inspired by research she done for previous roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Cold Case, and the actress said she took up the undercover work when she faced a gap in acting jobs back in 2012.

Heartbreakingly, the experience was also triggered by her own experience of childhood sexual abuse after she was raped aged 11.

"It changed the entire trajectory of my life in a day," she told the publication.

In her undercover role, Marisol worked with the FBI on Operation Underground Railroad, and corroborated with local law enforcement to track down child sex offenders by acting as the "bait" for them.

She would often play the role of a mother offering to pimp out her child, and sometimes even act as a child to lure in "a dirtbag on his way to a dismal motel to have sex with an 11-year-old girl who doesn't exist."

Netflix)

"These guys look like normal people," Nichols said of the men she helped capture.

"And you're pretending that you just happily and eagerly set up children for them to have sex with. To watch his eyes ... you want to kick him in the balls and beat the hell out of him."

Marisol also set up a nonprofit, Foundation for a Slavery Free World, in 2014.

The show on Marisol's experiences is in the early stage of development, so we don't have any deets yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we know more...

You can learn more about Foundation for a Slavery Free World and donate here.

Topics: Celebrity News, Riverdale

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

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