Identifying a pedophile to his neighbours

[Bipitybopityboop]

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.

@reallyreallyborednow

Why do people on here find people taking the law into their own hands so offensive?

Because we are a civilised society and have procedures, solicitors, courts, judges, prisons and various bodies all with the relevant expertise to convict at mete out punishment.

The general public deciding who is guilty and who should be punished and how is not justice. And as pointed out on this thread, vigilante action often results in the wrong person being assaulted, killed or “named and shamed”, with horrific results.

SS police and courts have failed children, again and again and again.

Those professionals who want to stop vigilantes should do their jobs properly, which they've failed to do.

If the system worked, people wouldn't feel the need to take matters into their own hands.

I bet the number of vigilante attacks is dwarfed by the number of child victims.

WE SEE YOU

If you start hounding this person, they will disappear and scupper the police monitoring, which increases the risk to everyone, including your own children.

@IloveJKRowling what nonsense. No-one is saying that at all. I don't lock my children in a box and I don't advocate anyone else does. You are deliberately misunderstanding my points.

And yes, I suppose for the purposes of this thread I am a "self-proclaimed professional" as I am not about to publish my CV here. But there is nothing self-proclaimed about my qualifications (and more importantly my experience) , I can assure you.

What at @SnowdaySewday says!

💯!

Secrecy only ever benefits the abusers.

Professionals say they want kids to speak up, and yet we're not allowed to do the same as parents. Lead by example. If it's in the public domain, share it.

You tell kids one thing but model another - secrecy.

Assume they are around and like parks, paddling pools, beaches and watch your children. Really good advice. I would like to know if a paedophile lived near if I’m honest, however I wouldn’t cross GDPR lines to do that. However, like @justasking111 blimey 26 convicted men near enough a child in one day?! They really are everywhere, that’s quite shocking in a way.

I’ve been more aware recently of safeguarding children, and we still don’t do enough. I wish schools did more, and at home we were given really good tools like books etc to read to kids at an early age. We should be taught early that most abuse happens within families and trusted friends.

It’s still gross misconduct.

Of course a lot of paedophiles get into positions of trust and that's partly why the systems fail so incredibly badly because there are abusers within them. Look at Catholic priests.

@IloveJKRowling I am however completely with you on how SS (and very many other bodies and organisations) have failed children. Another part of my career involves working with survivors who are seeking justice and compensation. I know in great detail about the failings. That does not alter my other views as expressed above.

If you want kids to be open and speak up about things that happen that frighten or upset them, you can't then also be making parents not share safeguarding info because of a 'maybe' that someone somewhere on some planet on some day will be illegally violent.

The double standards!

@Foxglovesandlilacs

Why do people on here find people taking the law into their own hands so offensive? If I heard of someone who was without doubt, a convicted paedophile, and someone set their house on fire or even just gave them a beating, I’d be so pleased

And what about when it's your house, because they thought that your house of 12 Lowbell Lane is where the paedophile lives, but actually they live at 12 Lowell Lane?

People are LESS likely to be violent if they're in control.

And my experience is that the response to knowing a convicted paedophile is nearby is avoidance of that person.

I mean they might then move because everyone is protecting their children too well and they're seeking out new victims - are we supposed to offer our children as a sacrifice so the authorities find life easier? Fucks sake.

I suppose we need to treat everyone male as a suspected predator when the guilty ones and secret ones are living amongst us.

These misunderstandings (about addresses) wouldn't happen if the police published a list of convicted offenders would it?

The reason this happens is because parents are kept in the dark.

[quote theDudesmummy]@Iminaglasscaseofemotion you will not know if someone is a paedophile (unless they tell you this, which is very unlikely). You can only know if they are a child sex offender. And again, this you would only know if they were convicted (again, unless they told you, which is very unlikely).

Saying it again: they are not the same thing. Paedophiles may or may not be child sex offenders. Child sex offenders may or may not be paedophiles. They also may or may not be convicted for their offences.

They are three different classes of thing.
Paedophile: a mental condition
Child sex offending: a behaviour
Convicted child sex offender: a legal status[/quote]
Ok then, all of the above would make me change my behaviour and attitude towards my neighbours if I found out that's what they were.

@theDudesmummy - honestly, would you want to know? Or would you have faith in the system that the person is being monitored enough?

Or is it the case that as 101001 put, there are so many around that knowing about one is not going to be any use at all?

I told my son about stranger danger when he was just 3 (in an appropriate way), but for me it was such a depressing conversation, the reality that there are people out there who we have to be wary of. (And of course we talk about bodily autonomy to cover the risk from the people we do know).

Years ago, a pervert - KNOWN - pervert, befriended close friends of mine. They were new to the area. They didn't know he was a pervert. He groomed the family, he was trusted, he was lovely Uncle Fred, always helping out, kind and friendly. Always bought the kids' sweets, nice birthday presents, when a new baby was born he was always overjoyed, more gifts for the kids. The parents loved him like a brother.
When the little girl he had known since a baby was 2, he started playing games that always ended up in her room.
Yes, he started sexually abusing her.
Then her little brother came along. He ended up getting piggy back rides too.
It only ended when the little girl grew too old for him. She was upset they weren't playing their special games anymore so she complained to her mum. Little girl was 9. Her little brother was 3.
The filthy scum served no prison time because children make stories up and Uncle Fred was the lovely manager of the local Spar. The police believed the children, but the CPS didn't think they would make credible witnesses.
This was 30 years ago.
Everyone 'knew' what he was, he had previous relationships end when he was 'caught', but NO ONE wanted to ruin HIS life by speaking out or telling my friend.
This is how they continue to get away with ruining their victims lives.

If we as a society refuse to tolerate it anymore, but calling them out - even the FEAR of having their balls cut off would save kids - teaching children that the bogeyman can be anyone, even nice Uncle Fred will these disgusting beings stop.

OP, if I were you, I'd be posting his picture on lamposts.

But we’re not talking about getting the wrong person, or rumours, we’re talking about someone who has been convicted for sexually abusing children. If you are 100% sure of the identity of this person, I would tell everyone.

The police and the law do not protect children in this country, probably because so many of them are paedos, rapists and murderers themselves.

@IloveJKRowling

These misunderstandings (about addresses) wouldn't happen if the police published a list of convicted offenders would it?

The reason this happens is because parents are kept in the dark.

But, the point remains the vigilante action is inherently wrong. It doesn't stop them offending. It doesn't protect your children. All it serves is to make those vigilantes feel better about themselves. And in the meantime, Paedophile moves to a different area, starts to access more media online, attempts to access children in a different area, pushes them to be more discrete etc... and still doesn't change the fact that the random person is less if a risk than the trusted person.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion IF you knew. But in most cases, you would not know. You cannot assume someone is safe just because you don't have evidence. Sadly, sexual abuse of children is far far more common than many people would imagine.

@icelollies If there was a known actual or potential sex offender who was not being adequately monitored/supported /treated (whichever of these was appropriate in the specific case) then I would want the relevent authorities to know. But I am aware that for most potential offenders (undiagnosed paedophiles and unconvicted sex offenders) no-one knows that they are a potential offender. So I keep that in mind.

If the system worked, people wouldn't feel the need to take matters into their own hands.
Pedophile hunters can make mistakes but generally do their homework investigation well.
There is a group of female hunters in Ireland they work tirelessly and never approach without hard evidence, they're hands are tied here I watched the documentary it was easy to see why they do this the chat logs were sick towards DC.
www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda%C3%AD-express-major-concern-over-paedophile-hunting-groups-1.3783959

Sorry when I say ‘we’ should be taught early, I mean as parents we should be supported in making good confident safeguarding decisions. As most is within the family, and convictions are rare, let’s assume most risk is children in our care with people we know.

There are several threads where parents are made to feel very guilty if their instincts say the Uncle or whatever is getting a bit too ‘something’ - but feel bad about doing anything just in case. Or where they are ridiculed if their instincts say that their child isn’t ready to walk to school alone, play outside or have overnights in houses, even families, where we are not 100% okay.

Parents can then be accused of ‘helicopter’ parenting or ‘not letting their child be independent’. Maybe it’s time to grow up a bit all around and have a better idea of how kids can grow healthily but where risk is minimised.

What the F?"£ , Did I just read that utter crap?
They are three different classes of thing.
Paedophile: a mental condition
Child sex offending: a behaviour
Convicted child sex offender: a legal status^

F?"£ing HELL!
I care not, stop muddying this, its vile and beyond disgusting. Stop minimizing. A person that is sexually aroused by a child needs to at best get their head out of their arse.

Pedophile hunters can make mistakes but generally do their homework investigation well

Why the need to livestream it all on facebook though putting others at risk?

That doesn’t need to happen.

@EmeraldShamrock that group is interesting. Why don’t the CPA just give out guidance - which vigilante groups can use so that they don’t inadvertently make things worse? For me the crime of child abuse is so awful then anything that can stop it / reduce it is worthwhile isn’t it?