Almost half of last year's child grooming/abuse cases used Paedophile Hunter evidence.

[TheQueef]

AIBU to be surprised?
I'm watching Paedophile Hunters on BBC3.
I've always been pretty certain I was against vigilantes like this for the usual reasons but if it's true that almost half used PH evidence I must be wrong somewhere.
If the hunters are so bad then why does it take their evidence, why isn't someone with authority do what needs doing?

I read an article reporting a conviction recently where the JUDGE praised the hunters for their actions.

I found that interesting. The police may lot like them, but this judge did.

Not seen the programme but will look out for it.

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-46788210

I've not seen the programme but I dislike the mob mentality that the PH display. They should quietly hand over the evidence to the police rather than plaster the videos over FB.
There was a PH sting in my town and it caused chaos. A mob gathered outside the offenders house and the police had to rehouse his poor elderly parents. The parents ended up being afraid to return to their home as it was constantly being targeted, graffiti, broken windows etc. The actions of the PH caused a lot of unnecessary work for the authorities.

To be honest after the police handling of Rochdale, Saville, and the way police seem to think calling in on GC people to "check their thinking" I am beginning to lose faith in the idea that the police have either the ability or desire to deal with the targets of these groups. How many are only being charged because the hunter groups forced to police to take action?

And I'm troubled by the degree recent events make me question the police's impartiality.

I’m a police officer. We regularly execute warrants in relation to indecent images of children and attest offenders. The prison isn’t full of sex offenders because they walked in themselves! The difference is we don’t post it to Facebook.

But we plan this in advance in conjunction with other departments, organise staffing and do it as efficiently as possible whereas the PH groups in my area have done a few on a weekend night which is a fricking nightmare. One of the groups exposed where they were in the town centre and there was early a riot due to folk with a drink in them heading round to shout abuse. How does that help anything?

Remember the American tv show to catch a predator?
Didn't that get credible convictions, would something like that be a solution?

I’ve never seen it, so I can’t comment.

ive had quite a bit to do with these groups too. (also a police officer)

some are actually quite "professional" in their evidence gathering but then it all falls down when they put the "sting" on facebook or live stream it.
it is downright dangerous.

had one the other week where they did this and by the time i got there to arrest the person there was a huge baying mob at his door where his poor wife and children were cowering inside - they knew nothing and were entirely innocent.

these groups do it for the glory with no regard to safeguarding.

also ive had some from gorups such as this turn on each other and then when you start digging there are some people in them who really are not suitable and are far from whiter than white themselves.

the police just dont publicise their actions or do it for attention - it still gets done. quietly. so no one gets hurt.

i had another group turn up at the door of a lad with a mental age of 8 demanding i arrest him. that group and i fell out quite badly. in fact one of them nearly got arrested themselves.

ryton Do you shake their hands and say “good job lads”?

We sure as hell don’t.

Yeah I have issues with the fact that some people they entrap may be learning disabled.

My friends son for example is autistic with a mental age of around 12 ....as such he likes and gets on with 12 year old boys and girls at school and talks to them (he is 16). There has already been an issue because he showed his penis to a 12 year old girl. He and the girl got on well and boundaries were confused (she is also autistic) and they were calling themselves boyfriend and girlfriend. Confused boundaries meant he didn’t understand where boundaries should begin and end,

He got it totally wrong, the police got involved and as far as I know it was dealt with sensitively based upon his learning difficulties

Someone like this teen is very vulnerable to entrapment like this.

My son is also autistic and also 16, I thank God he shows no interest in the opposite sex (or even his own sex) . And he also has no interest in social media thank the Lord.