To ask what you think about paedophile hunting groups?

[MumMumMumm]

Since the channel 4 Stinson Hunter documentary in 2015(?) It's everywhere isn't it. Social media is full of copycat groups who pose online as child decoys and track down suspected sex offenders, some of the group's are well organised and relatively 'professional' but some not so much.

Overall I do think it's good that people are taking a stand against potential SA, but I can't help but feel sorry for the wives/families of those who get 'stung' as the videos are live streamed to the thousands before the police have even had chance to look at the evidence.

Thoughts?

The thing about leaving it to the professionals is that in a lot of cases They're given suspended sentences while at the same time parents are thrown in jail over their child playing truant or people, likewise those who can't pay their council Tax.
Perhaps if these sicko beasts (and that's all they are) got a suitable punishment. Instead of being pondered to We may not have these vigilante groups.

It's wrong, look at the harm done to the innocent couple arrested about the drone issue at Gatwick. Now imagine what the media circus would have been like if they had been accused of being paedophiles.

It’s the fallout when it’s posted online that’s so awful.

Yes, if doing this floats your particular boat, and you gather evidence and hand it to the police to progress so there’s actually a chance of conviction.

No, if you post your suspect online. There’s almost always an unsuspecting family, including children attached to the groomer. The effect of them of a frothing posse outside their home or school is just horrifying.

I’m biased on this but I don’t think it’s right. In “outing” the paedophile and where they live they open up their family to be abused, too.
My father was convicted as a sex offender and though my mum did all the right things as soon as she found out (kicked him out and engaged with the police, social services and professionals) we still had grief from those locally who knew.
If it’d been streamed online to potentially thousands of people I believe we would’ve suffered much more than we already did.
You can’t just think of revenge in this scenario as many paedophiles have wives and children that could be hurt when some shithead decides to throw a brick through the window.

The nephew of a friend of dh , was charged with grooming a 14yr old I don't know the guy I don't know if he was guilty of not ,but his picture was posted all over social media, his work van was burnt, his home that he shared with his elderly mother was vandalised, how exactly are these actions helpful to a court case?

I think some hunting groups do make a mockery of the cause they're trying to raise awareness about.

Some? I think the vast vast vast majority of these so called groups are imbeciles who don't give a shit about protecting children at all and just want to big themselves up, get a bit violent and fulfill some otherwise lacking sense of importance.

Anyone remember the paediatrician who was so badly injured he couldn't work again thanks to a group of vigilantes too thick to know the difference between a paedophile and a paediatrician?

They're almost as bad the perps tbh.

I would be much more understanding if the hunters just quietly handed over any evidence rather than streaming it online and making it a huge drama.
To me, that’s not someone trying to help catch paedophiles that’s someone looking for attention and a pat on the back.

The desire for revenge is dangerous powerful and deep-seated
it gets out of control very easily
this is why vigilantism is a bad thing

One of these groups found a suspected paedophile who was meeting my dad's employee for lunch. Assumed he worked there and smashed up his factory causing £30k worth of damage. They are just brutes looking for any excuse.

The few I have seen shared online have made me regard the sharer as a mawkish vigilante quite frankly.

x2boys I don't think they really gives shit a about people being potential child sex offenders I think they like the drama and feeling important,otherwise why would they share it on social media ,potentially jeopardizing court cases?

This is a perfect summation. It's just a slightly more modern/technological rentamob from the pub. More smartphones, fewer pitchforks.

If these groups were doing this just to catch pedophiles then they wouldn't feel the need to post it all over Facebook. They are doing it for the 'look at me! I'm brilliant!' factor.

It's also bloody dangerous. There was one near me last year where the guys wife was howling in the street she was so distraught, they had 2 small kids. How the hell was that fair on her? He was talking of suicide and yet they continued to walk with him towards a busy dual carriageway. What if he'd thrown himself in front of a car?

Then come those that know them, naming, naming the families. The one I mention here they had a collection for and sent bloody flowers.

Gather your evidence by all means, but don't froth up the baying mob for your own amusement and page hits.

I see also some competitive parenting has come out on this thread, with people one-upping other posters to say how much more they hate paedophiles than everyone else

I think we can all agree on a fairly consistent opinion of child abusers without the need to say you hate them the most bigly.

I am unsure how I feel about them. One side is glad they are chasing the fuckers down, the police do not have the resources for the massive amount of peado twats. Though I would hope the hunters have the right information and do not get the wrong person.
My DD first started playing roblux an interactive game, some scumbag was asking her to lay on a bed so he could tickle her tummy with his lips all role play. Thankfully she was sitting beside me and we had previously a good talk about inappropriate touching, I was truly shocked. We have security settings to the max now.

I think it would be better if these groups worked with the police and had to be enforced to an extent. Still keep them as voluntary, but they need to have background checks done before being hired. Then rather than the group meeting the paedo, the police does and they have all of the evidence

Agreed. I don't see anything inherently wrong with the public wanting to volunteer their time to help the police, whose resources are so overstretched. But why not make the most of this demand, regulate it, license the groups, etc. and actually use the information to convict criminals. If the groups really do want to help, they would happily work with police and stop the public outing on social media crap.

They make me uncomfortable. I agree they probably get a kick out of it. It’s so wrong when they share the address on social media, leaving innocent family members open to abuse.

I don't see anything inherently wrong with the public wanting to volunteer their time to help the police, whose resources are so overstretched

Surely then "the public" would be better off volunteering to deal with the mundane aspects of police work, not the most sensitive, complex and difficult ones? There is plenty of work to go round if they genuinely want to help.

Apparently that's not glam enough for them though and they prefer to potentially seriously risk (what could be ongoing) investigations and prosecutions for their 15 minutes of thuggish video fame.

This is totally wrong. I posted something about this in FWR about the influx of twitter users who are “MAPs”. Google Task Force Argos. It’s a branch of the Queensland Police who successfully infiltrated a group on the internet and in doing so caught one of the world’s worst paedophiles and gathered evidence leading to convictions in multiple countries. The most evil fuckers of all - the ones doing the trafficking, raping, videoing and distributing - aren’t going to be caught by Bob and his amateur sleuth mates with their pitchforks, and could potentially undo undercover work leading to the big fish.

Surely then "the public" would be better off volunteering to deal with the mundane aspects of police work, not the most sensitive, complex and difficult ones? There is plenty of work to go round if they genuinely want to help

Apparently that's not glam enough for them though

True. But if the baiting stuff draws more volunteers, and it's possible to allow them to do it to a useful end, then why not?

I don't know if it is possible or not, of course.

there have been cases where these vigilantes have accused innocent people & destroyed their lives & as stated the people involved in this can have suspect reasons & in fact have criminal background - it may be an excuse for violence. They can as also mentioned destroy court cases & contaminate the evidence trail - so no - if you suspect there is a problem then report to the police.

I don’t particularly like them. BIL was live streamed by one of the groups on Facebook whilst he was living with FIL (BIL found not guilty and had cut all contact off with decoy once the age was disclosed, albeit after already sending explicit pictures in the first contact yet the group still came to home address) and the techniques of the groups just leave a bad taste in my mouth. Due to them pursuing what turned out to be a innocent man, FIL has had vigilante attacks at his home - BIL had already moved out - and my newborn has been put on a social services “watch list” on the off chance she has been abused by an uncle she has never met 😑

I think paedophiles should be given the death sentence, they don't deserve any rights what so ever and I know for a fact if anything happened to my DC or DN I would be sent to jail for murder. Flame away

I think all those who’ve said these groups attract attention-seekers have just had their point well and truly proven.

Anyone remember the paediatrician who was so badly injured he couldn't work again thanks to a group of vigilantes too thick to know the difference between a paedophile and a paediatrician?

Exactly the case I was going to reference. It’s the same ‘But worrabout the kids tho?!?!’ mentality as shown by the simpletons who threatened staff at Great Ormond Street over the Alfie Evans case - apparently unable to see the irony that this would put the care of hundreds more children at risk.

It’s showboating bullshit which actively harms victims of child sexual abuse and reduces conviction rates for perpetrators. It has far more to do with the ‘hunters’ desire for fame and action than it does with the protection of vulnerable children.

They disgust me, almost as much as the offenders themselves do. As someone else said, I think they themselves get a kick out of it.

Leave the police to do their jobs.

I think sadly this is going to be too attractive to people who want to demonstrate their own power against demons
I'm sure there are lots of well-meaning people but this is a highly emotive and dangerous area