Do undercover Paedo hunters actually get paedos convicted?
Discussion
You see them on facebook etc
Someone is posing as a 14 year old girl and some guy ends up wanting to meet said girl at a hotel etc and surprise the people turn up recording a conversation with the would be paedo.
Do those actually end up in a conviction?
I know of someone who got caught up in one and apparently the police dropped the charges for a lack of evidence despite the guy arranging a meet up at a hotel, and the texts of him saying what he would do to the girl . I would've thought having him admit this on tape was evidence enough of his intentions?
Someone is posing as a 14 year old girl and some guy ends up wanting to meet said girl at a hotel etc and surprise the people turn up recording a conversation with the would be paedo.
Do those actually end up in a conviction?
I know of someone who got caught up in one and apparently the police dropped the charges for a lack of evidence despite the guy arranging a meet up at a hotel, and the texts of him saying what he would do to the girl . I would've thought having him admit this on tape was evidence enough of his intentions?
. …….Our local paper sometimes reports on court cases. They seem to include that the group got them to confess, so I guess admitting guilt is enough
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/y...
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/y...
Neighbour is high up in the police and responsible for policing in this area.
The hunters are generally not interested in helping the police and consequently CPS with a conviction, much of the evidence is captured in a way that’s not legally admissible, what evidence there is often includes coercion on 5be hunters part, they are often just vigilante groups with the aim of plastering somebody, from hardcore paedos who need to be locked up to those with learning disabilities who don’t understand social boundaries but are actually pretty harmless especially if it wasn’t for said coercion, all over Facebook rather than get those that need to be taken to court into court.. The police view is the hunters current mode of operation does more harm than good on a number of fronts.
The hunters are generally not interested in helping the police and consequently CPS with a conviction, much of the evidence is captured in a way that’s not legally admissible, what evidence there is often includes coercion on 5be hunters part, they are often just vigilante groups with the aim of plastering somebody, from hardcore paedos who need to be locked up to those with learning disabilities who don’t understand social boundaries but are actually pretty harmless especially if it wasn’t for said coercion, all over Facebook rather than get those that need to be taken to court into court.. The police view is the hunters current mode of operation does more harm than good on a number of fronts.
The wife worked with a man a few years ago that got caught up in one of these stings, he's our age late 30's but not right in the head with the mental age of a teenager I felt abit sorry for him
He got cought talking to what he though was a under age girl etc etc lost his job & got a suspended sentence
Fyi forgot to put there was nothing sexual in his conversations but the judge seid as soon as he got told the age he should of stopped talking, he was lonely
He got cought talking to what he though was a under age girl etc etc lost his job & got a suspended sentence
Fyi forgot to put there was nothing sexual in his conversations but the judge seid as soon as he got told the age he should of stopped talking, he was lonely
Edited by B235r on Thursday 2nd December 10:01
Powerfully Built Company Director said:
At the risk of being a pedant, your post title asks if the hunters get convicted (ie that they get nicked), whereupon your question in detail seems to be the other way around - do the pedo hunters actually get convictions. Does change the nature of the question.
Exactly. Totally confusing title.On the one hand someone who carries on chatting sexually with someone that they know (or believe) to be underage deserves no sympathy for anything that happens subsequently.
On the other hand - as remarked above - there are shades of grey. Someone with a mental illness of some kind ought to be afforded some level of consideration beyond what these blunt tools (the "hunters") can and are prepared to offer.
I do also question the motivation, as in - to what extent are they coercing someone down a path rather than remaining mostly passive and giving the perp enough rope to hang themselves, so to speak. I imagine there is an element of these hunters getting a rush from what they're doing, beyond the claimed moralistic stance they would claim as the basis for their activities.
I guess it has the potential to catch predators who might otherwise evade the Police, or not be on their radar quickly enough, but at the same time I don't think it's without its issues.
On the other hand - as remarked above - there are shades of grey. Someone with a mental illness of some kind ought to be afforded some level of consideration beyond what these blunt tools (the "hunters") can and are prepared to offer.
I do also question the motivation, as in - to what extent are they coercing someone down a path rather than remaining mostly passive and giving the perp enough rope to hang themselves, so to speak. I imagine there is an element of these hunters getting a rush from what they're doing, beyond the claimed moralistic stance they would claim as the basis for their activities.
I guess it has the potential to catch predators who might otherwise evade the Police, or not be on their radar quickly enough, but at the same time I don't think it's without its issues.
Long before this, we took a new driver on and he got a new sign written van. He was 40+ but had convinced a very young girl he was 15.
He turned up for his second "date" in our van only to be met by her mum and dad. He broke free and escaped.
His cunning plan was undone by our van having all details for contact on it. It took the Police 1/2 hour to be at our place, he apparently when on the run, from North London to Milton Keynes, we couldn't work out if he assumed there was no extradition for MK.
All's well that ends well, he got 4 years and lifetime sex offender.
We heard later his wife had taken him back
He turned up for his second "date" in our van only to be met by her mum and dad. He broke free and escaped.
His cunning plan was undone by our van having all details for contact on it. It took the Police 1/2 hour to be at our place, he apparently when on the run, from North London to Milton Keynes, we couldn't work out if he assumed there was no extradition for MK.
All's well that ends well, he got 4 years and lifetime sex offender.
We heard later his wife had taken him back
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-tren...
Our local pub
Jeff is now in prison for quite a long time....
Our local pub
Jeff is now in prison for quite a long time....
Powerfully Built Company Director said:
At the risk of being a pedant, your post title asks if the hunters get convicted (ie that they get nicked), whereupon your question in detail seems to be the other way around - do the pedo hunters actually get convictions. Does change the nature of the question.
I was trying to post a more clear question but was limited by the amount of letters I could use and now I re-read it I do agree with youAndy 308GTB said:
I think the motives of the 'hunters' are often questionable.
Quite.
And I do wonder how much damage to the strength of any potential case their method of vigilantism and entrapment does. Hunters get wall to wall approbation on social and tabloid media when any incident they've engineered leads to a succesfull prosecution because that's what social and tabloid media readers want to read but not a word will be said should their actions lead to a case being thrown out of court instead.
Entrapment and vigilantism has no place in any society and given the serious nature of this type of offence it's best left entirely to the BiB and specialist agencies to deal with IMO.
B235r said:
The wife worked with a man a few years ago that got caught up in one of these stings, he's our age late 30's but not right in the head with the mental age of a teenager I felt abit sorry for him
He got cought talking to what he though was a under age girl etc etc lost his job & got a suspended sentence
Fyi forgot to put there was nothing sexual in his conversations but the judge seid as soon as he got told the age he should of stopped talking, he was lonely
The bit in bold I don't get. Sure, it's not regular behaviour, but considering his mental age it's not so weird. What's his crime, talking to a teenager?He got cought talking to what he though was a under age girl etc etc lost his job & got a suspended sentence
Fyi forgot to put there was nothing sexual in his conversations but the judge seid as soon as he got told the age he should of stopped talking, he was lonely
Edited by B235r on Thursday 2nd December 10:01
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