PAEDOPHILE HUNTER JAILED ASSAULT ON VICTIM WAS STREAMED LIVE ON FACEBOOK
NOT a single child abuser in Northern Ireland has been convicted on evidence provided by so-called ‘paedophile hunters’, the PSNI has said.
Detective Inspector Pamela Colville was speaking as she welcomed the jailing of a 25-yearold Co Armagh man for attacking a male in a confrontation streamed live on Facebook.
Caolan Murray was handed a seven-month jail sentence along with a three-year restraining order after he was convicted at Craigavon Magistrates Court of assault, having a crossbow and disorderly behaviour.
DI Colville, a senior investigating officer with the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch, said yesterday: “To date there have been no prosecutions regarding any evidence captured by any of these online child sexual abuse activist groups.
“However, as this case demonstrates, there have been occasions when criminal behaviour has taken place as a consequence of their activities.
“I and my colleagues in the Public Protection Branch want to bring those who commit offences of child abuse to court and to justice.
“We are totally committed to doing that, but it is work that must be carried out within the law.”
She added: “We continue to ask that online child sexu- al abuse activist groups do not make arrangements to meet individuals or share that information online.
“Instead, they should bring any information they have to police.”
Previous court hearings had been told how the self-styled ‘paedo hunter’, described by a judge as “self-appointed enforcers of the law,” confronted a man who lived near him.
Along with a handful of others involved in a so-called sting, Murray, from Mark Court in Lurgan, streamed the entire incident live online on February 18 this year.
Following that incident, Murray confronted the same man four days later on February 22 when he went to the man’s home address “armed with a crossbow”.
The court heard how in that incident, also streamed live on Facebook, Murray identified the victim’s home and cars which belonged to the man’s family, adding that because of a “commotion” at the house, police were quickly at the scene.
“The ‘target’ was punched in the face, receiving injuries,” said the lawyer.
He added that police took statements from a number of witnesses who said they saw Murray with a crossbow.
A lawyer for the Public Prosecution Service revealed that police enquiries also established that Murray “was already in a dispute” with the so-called target — who is an openly gay man.
He said police believe there is an element of “homophobia” in the background.
“He has a large following on Facebook,” the lawyer continued.
He told the court that when he was arrested, Murray told his mother to post that fact on social media.
Following a short trial last Wednesday, Murray was convicted of common assault, disorderly behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon, namely the crossbow.