Pedophiles are terrible. We all can, hopefully, agree on this. But that doesn't mean we can just drag them out of a shop or lock them in a shed and prevent them from leaving. They are still...
Pedophiles are terrible. We all can, hopefully, agree on this.
But that doesn't mean we can just drag them out of a shop or lock them in a shed and prevent them from leaving. They are still required to receive due process.
One of the men was held in a headlock and physically dragged out of a shop against his will, Leeds crown court heard, while confrontations were live-streamed on social media.
and
Tom Storey, prosecuting, told the court: “The members of this group, and those working with them, overstepped the mark and went far beyond the bounds within which they should have operated.”
The six defendants deny the charges of false imprisonment and assault and claim they were making lawful citizen’s arrests.
The first incident happened in August 2018, when four of the defendants went to the home of a man who had taken part in online conversations with a Predator Exposure member posing as a 14-year-old.
They took the man, who was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and is believed to be on the autistic spectrum, into the back garden of the house and prevented him from leaving, even when he asked to be allowed inside to fetch his medication, the court heard.
Again, these acts are disgusting but these random people shouldn't be the ones to decide how this is handled. They should have, at the very least, turned the information over to the police and said, "We basically made a case for you. If you think it's a valid charge, go arrest these guys," or something like that.
Hoban and his son, Jordan McDonald, 19, both from Leeds, are both charged with two counts of false imprisonment and one of common assault. Jordan Plain, 26, from Leeds, and Dean Walls, 52, from Moortown, are each charged with one count of false imprisonment and one of common assault. Kelly Meadows, 40, from Leeds, is charged with two counts of false imprisonment and Christine James-Roberts, 60, from Headingley, Leeds, faces one charge of false imprisonment.
These people should go to jail for assault and false imprisonment. It doesn't matter if the person they assaulted or imprisoned was a criminal.
Yeah, the core of this story doesn't actually seem to be about pedophilia; it's more about vigilantism and the proper way to conduct a citizen's arrest.
Yeah, the core of this story doesn't actually seem to be about pedophilia; it's more about vigilantism and the proper way to conduct a citizen's arrest.
The Crown Prosecution Service and the English police forces dislike these vigilante groups because of the risk of public order offences (public fighting, mini-riots, violence); because the people they target are normally vulnerable (often people with intellectual disability); and because these groups can sometimes disrupt long term covert operations.
Pedophiles are terrible. We all can, hopefully, agree on this.
But that doesn't mean we can just drag them out of a shop or lock them in a shed and prevent them from leaving. They are still required to receive due process.
and
Again, these acts are disgusting but these random people shouldn't be the ones to decide how this is handled. They should have, at the very least, turned the information over to the police and said, "We basically made a case for you. If you think it's a valid charge, go arrest these guys," or something like that.
These people should go to jail for assault and false imprisonment. It doesn't matter if the person they assaulted or imprisoned was a criminal.
Yeah, the core of this story doesn't actually seem to be about pedophilia; it's more about vigilantism and the proper way to conduct a citizen's arrest.
For some context the English law is the Sexual Offences Act 2003. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/contents
Mostly these two bits: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/15
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/15A
The Paedophile hunter groups set up fake profiles of people under 16 then communicate with adults.
The CPS advice is here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/vigilantes-internet-cases-involving-child-sexual-abuse
The Crown Prosecution Service and the English police forces dislike these vigilante groups because of the risk of public order offences (public fighting, mini-riots, violence); because the people they target are normally vulnerable (often people with intellectual disability); and because these groups can sometimes disrupt long term covert operations.