Vigilante paedophile hunter from Wigan arrested on suspicion of assault and blackmail

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-32376964

Anyone know any vigilantes from Wigan? I wonder who this is?

[Julian]

Simple way to stop these "vigilantes" is to make it impossible to charge someone with grooming unless the "victim" actually is under age.

This would not apply to an official operation of course.

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by Julian

Simple way to stop these "vigilantes" is to make it impossible to charge someone with grooming unless the "victim" actually is under age.

This would not apply to an official operation of course.

In criminal law, entrapment is a practice whereby a law enforcement agent induces a person to commit a criminal offense that the person would have otherwise been unlikely to commit.[1] It is a conduct that is generally discouraged and thus, in many jurisdictions, it is a possible defense against criminal liability.

Depending on the law in the jurisdiction, the prosecution may be required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not entrapped or the defendant may be required to prove that they were entrapped as an affirmative defense.

Sting operations are fraught with ethical concerns over whether they constitute entrapment.

Wiki

Given this was not law enforcement agencies then the vigilantees are on very shakey ground, indeed it could be claimed that the grooming or enticement was both ways.

[techguyone]

Lets all act surprised that this ever going to happen. NOT.


I'd been saying ever since that idiot (can't remember his name cause he's on block) got all excited about that Stimpson guy.

Vigilantes always always always cock it up, and in many cases are not very much better than the people they are 'hunting'

This is why we have a Police & Court system.

[Taf]

If their actions deter paedophiles even slightly, I agree with their actions in general. But this new twist of vigilantes making threats and demanding money is not OK at all.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Taf

If their actions deter paedophiles even slightly, I agree with their actions in general. But this new twist of vigilantes making threats and demanding money is not OK at all.

IMHO it's an inevitable consequence of allowing this sort of thing to go on. Sooner or later the boundaries get blurred, motives change and innocent people start getting hurt.

[rhyds]

I don't agree with vigilantes on principle. We have police and a system of laws for a reason, and no matter how flawed it is, having a bunch of violent thugs going about making threats of blackmail isn't in any way an alternative.

If you want to see the worst side of vigilantes, just remember the story about the Paediatrician who's house was daubed with badly spelled anti paedophile graffiti, or wholly innocent people caught up in the News of the World paedophile article hysteria.

[Ramrod]

You are all assuming that in this case they are vigilantes. My reading of the article made me conclude that they are simply violent blackmailers.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Taf

If their actions deter paedophiles even slightly, I agree with their actions in general. But this new twist of vigilantes making threats and demanding money is not OK at all.

Originally Posted by Ramrod

You are all assuming that in this case they are vigilantes. My reading of the article made me conclude that they are simply violent blackmailers.

Agreed

Originally Posted by Ramrod

You are all assuming that in this case they are vigilantes. My reading of the article made me conclude that they are simply violent blackmailers.

Indeed , this from Wigan Today

Det Insp Charlotte Cadden from Bolton division, said: “These men were targeted because they had illegally arranged to meet up with underage girls online.
“It is unacceptable that this group are posing as underage girls and meeting up with men with the view to either blackmailing them or attacking them in the street.

no attempt whatsoever to bring the peodos to justice, probably they will get off scot free now

[Osem]

Of course being a vigilante and a blackmailing thug aren't mutually exclusive. If this sort of thing is allowed to continue, the latter might be the natural progression of the former.