Paedophile Hunters - What Do We Think?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-39948768
This guy seems to have done the right thing, gathered evidence and handed it over to the police but I fear that future copy cats will become vigilante judge, jury and executioners.

[cassa333]

The worry is vigilantes but when people see little being done they will take matters into their own hands.

Perhaps there should be a task force that works under the guidance of the police?

[jno]

amateurs would have to be very careful to avoid entrapment - leading people into doing things they wouldn't otherwise have done. And yes, it might inspire vigilantes, but I don't suppose that's a good reason to complain about what this particular guy has done.

I'm surprised the man's pleaded guilty to grooming a child when there was no child. Presumably the actual wording of the offence involves "intent to groom" or something like that.

[hc4361]

It can go horribly wrong, not only causing expensive police investigations to collapse but ruining the lives of innocent people:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/25/vigilante-paedophile-hunters-online-police

[-Talbot-]

This bloke is a copycat and I don't have have a problem with what he is doing.

[Peter Pedant]

well I hope he can spell

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/901723.stm

fella in Manchester was kicked to death for being a paedo
and oops ! it was the house next door !
the kickers felt AWFUL when they found out ( and didnt do many years in prison two or three I think )

[youngmafbog]

This sort of thing will start to happen more and more as people become disillusioned with a Police Force, sorry Service, that is more interested in becoming right-on than it is catching criminals.

It must be truly disheartening to those that join the Police to catch criminals.

Yes HC, that is one issue, however there are paedophile groups that have bee operating for some time that have been very successful in bringing these scum to book. I do suspect the Police are involved a bit more than we are lead to believe with these more organized groups.

[hc4361]

And the police have bought many child abusers in to court and continue to investigate, ymb. More than at any time in history, in fact.

Historic cases weren't investigated at the time because of society's attitude, not for pc reasons. Look back to the 70s and 80s when society thought a girl appearing topless on page 3 of the Sun on her 16th birthday was okay, and we all laughed at Rita, Sue and Bob, too because it was okay for a middle aged man to have sex with schoolgirls.

[youngmafbog]

Historic cases should not have had so much time and engery spent on them until we had addressed the current problems we have.

A topless girl trying to get into modelling at 16 is not quite the same as grooming pedophile. A 16 year old is not a child. Whether it is right or wrong is another topic.

Who on earth are Rita, Sue and Bob?

[hc4361]

That was a hugely popular film, young.

I agree that topless modelling at 16 is not the same as a grooming child abuser (not a paedophile, who is interested only in pre-pubescent children)but it does suggest that it is acceptable for grown men to lust after a girl of that age. Now topless models have to be 18 at least.

[ToraToraTora]

it would also help if the nonces where out of circulation for ever following conviction.

[youngmafbog]

Ah I see, not popular enough for me to have seen it. Having looked it up I see what you mean.

It is only relevant to this debate though if the 'school children' were underage and the reason people liked it was because of school children in it.

[jno]

I thought Rita, Sue and Bob stank at the time and I still do. But I don't think R and S were under age?

[hc4361]

They were still at school, jno, in 5th form and could have been 15. They have been described in reviews as 'mid teens' - when I left school at the end of my 5th form year I was 15, my birthday being in July.

[jno]

they just seemed like no-particular-age schoolgirls to me. The British seem to have a fascination with uniforms, and I assumed that was their main appeal rather than whatever their actual age might have been.

I wasn't happy about Woody Allen in Manhattan either.

[Peter Pedant]

// I wasn't happy about Woody Allen in Manhattan either.//

well you were correct : he married his step daughter didnt he ?

Wun Big Jerk - oops that could be him and not her....

[andy-hughes]

No, he didn’t.

Soon-Yi Previn was the adopted daughter of Andre Previn and Mia Farrow.

When Previn and Farrow split, Allen and Farrow began a relationship.

They never lived together, and Allen had nothing to do with raising Soon-Yi.

So although the relationship was unconventional, the media assumption that Allen has a relationship with his step-daughter is not factually accurate.

[Islay]

According to this, Rita and Sue were 16 so legal.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/05/thirty-years-on-rita-sue-and-bob-too-is-still-a-great-british-film/#

[andy-hughes]

To address the issue, although the notion of the public trying to protect vulnerable young people is obviously laudable, it is far too fraught with danger to be encouraged.

The notion of vigilantism attracts entirely the wrong people to be involved in any system of 'justice'. Far too often the violently self-righteous will attack entirely innocent people physically, or through the media, as publicised incidents have proved time and again.

At best their actions can actively prejudice on-going police investigations and allow paedophiles to escape justice.

The justice system in this area is far from perfect, but pitch-forks-and-torches gangs roamming the streets is not the answer.