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AIBU?

Identifying a pedophile to his neighbours

637 replies

Bipitybopityboop · 17/05/2021 23:20

If you found out, through work, that a pedophile was going to live on a certain street near you.
Would you anonymously let the neighbourhood know?

Would you want to know?

This could not be traced back to one individual.

OP posts:
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Am I being unreasonable?

654 votes. Final results.

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You are being unreasonable
59%
You are NOT being unreasonable
41%
AnyFucker · 17/05/2021 23:21

I assume your job does not allow such disclosures so you should do absolutely nothing at all

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Bipitybopityboop · 17/05/2021 23:24

It's not my job.

OP posts:
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ilovesooty · 17/05/2021 23:24

@AnyFucker

I assume your job does not allow such disclosures so you should do absolutely nothing at all

Agreed.
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AnyFucker · 17/05/2021 23:25

You said you found out through work ?

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JM10 · 17/05/2021 23:26

If I found out through work - absolutely not. If I found out another way - honestly I don't know what I'd do.

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AJ1425 · 17/05/2021 23:26

I'd want to know.

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Draculahhh · 17/05/2021 23:27

I personally would be careful, but I guess the question is do you like being employed. If yes keep your mouth shut, it WILL come back to bite you these things always do.

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ilovesooty · 17/05/2021 23:27

Cross post. I still don't think you should be saying anything. It's confusing saying it was found out "through work".

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KrisAkabusi · 17/05/2021 23:28

How do you know? Do you have all the facts? Has he been convicted, or is this speculation. Do you want to start a witch hunt?

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paralysedbyinertia · 17/05/2021 23:29

No. If you have access to confidential information through work, you should keep it that way.

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HeddaGarbled · 17/05/2021 23:29

Not unless you’re comfortable with them being beaten up by vigilante thugs.

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wheretoyougonow · 17/05/2021 23:32

If you have access to information like this and have to ask advice from strangers on the Internet, you need to find a different job.

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ClareBlue · 17/05/2021 23:32

What do you mean by found out through work. That implies it is part of you work activities that you know.

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Jeschara · 17/05/2021 23:33

That would worry me, the thought of the vigilantes having a excuse to bear someone up.

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notangelinajolie · 17/05/2021 23:33

Through work. No.

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paralysedbyinertia · 17/05/2021 23:35

@HeddaGarbled

Not unless you’re comfortable with them being beaten up by vigilante thugs.

Yep. Or someone else who gets targeted by mistake.
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Pinchoftums · 17/05/2021 23:36

@AnyFucker would you say nothing of they lived next door to your friends kids or your nieces or nephews. I honestly don't think I could.

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BagORats · 17/05/2021 23:39

If they're a convicted paedophile then the neighbourhood will find out without your meddling. If they're not convicted then you'd better be bloody sure of your facts

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Feelingconfused2020 · 17/05/2021 23:39

Or someone else who gets targeted by mistake this is very possible. Also what will knowing do for those families on that street? It will make them paranoid and scared and maybe over protective to the detriment of their children. It won't actually prevent him from re-offending and will cause hurt and harm to the community. He will have a probation officer.

If you/the person you refer to doesn't have faith in the system perhaps they aren't working in the correct job.

That said I'm fairly sure there is a website which identifies the location of local paedophiles so anyone can find out if they want.

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OopsUp · 17/05/2021 23:40

No I wouldn't say anything if I found out via work (and this is the type of information I am privy to). Its hard but ultimately its confidential information.

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HepLaurenceLB · 17/05/2021 23:52

Yes I would want to know and yes I would tell. Pedophiles do not deserve anonymity.

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BlatantlyNameChanged · 17/05/2021 23:56

If they're a convicted paedophile then the neighbourhood will find out without your meddling. If they're not convicted then you'd better be bloody sure of your facts

This.

At best, the truth will come out without you saying anything. At worst, you wrongfully accuse someone and ruin their life.

You should know that when the vigilantes come to beat him up, which they will, and to throw bricks throw his window, which they also will, they won't stop there. His family will be targeted too, they'll be sent death threats, his children if he has any will be beaten up at school by the vigilantes children, they'll have their car tyres slashed and dog shit posted through their letterbox, their cat will be poisoned and left dead on their doorstep, multiple false reports will be made about them to social services and the police and the school, they'll be spat on in the street, the corner shop will refuse to serve them, and many other unpleasant things.

FILs neighbour was falsely accused as he unfortunately had the same name as a convicted paedophile. The newspaper article had no photograph but some bright spark read it, put two and two together and came up with hell on Earth for an innocent man and his family. They ended up having to move several hundred miles away because even when people protested their innocence the knuckle-draggers were of the opinion that "there's no smoke without fire".

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AMillionMilesAway · 18/05/2021 00:03

No I would not.

  1. Confidentiality. Also I can't actually think of any job where this would come up, apart from maybe housing or something? (not relevant but I'm nosy).


  1. Are you 100% sure of your facts? The actual offence? The ongoing risks?
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Cattenberg · 18/05/2021 00:06

My colleague’s young daughter was groped by a man on her way home from school. My colleague reported this to the police. At some point, she asked an officer if there were any other paedophiles living in our town and if so, where were they? The reply was “if you knew how many there were, you wouldn’t step outside your front door”.

It’s a difficult one. If I were a neighbour, I’d want to know, but if vigilantes drive paedophiles out of their homes, it becomes difficult for the authorities to monitor them.

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Gothichouse40 · 18/05/2021 00:12

There was a man burnt to death some years ago. A vigilante mob set fire to his house. Turns out he was innocent,as the paedophile had moved elsewhere and the man who died was completely innocent. Leave dealing with paedophiles to the police, that's what they are there for. If you have concerns inform them, not the neighbours. If you have this wrong, the consequences could be terrible and it would all come back to you.

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