Paedophile hunting ‘is cottage industry’ Judge hears how 3 vigilante groups trapped predator
PAEDOPHILE hunting by vigilante groups has become a ‘ cottage industry’, a court heard.
Around 75 organisations are thought to be operating in the UK and a judge this week heard how one sex predator was trapped online by three different groups.
Mark Cardwell, 39, thought he was exchanging explicit messages with girls as young as 12. But he had in fact been taken in by false profiles posted by three groups – Dark Light, Net Justice and Hunters 24/7 – and he was talking to their adult members. Cardwell was jailed for 18 months on Monday after he admitted charges of attempted grooming.
But his case triggered a row over ‘paedophile hunters’ after a police commissioner accused them of undermining criminal inquiries. Judge Amanda Rippon said she was familiar with the vigilante groups, but added: ‘I didn’t know there were so many.’ Defence barrister Chris Baker replied: ‘I think they call it a cottage industry.’
The groups generally pose as children online with fake accounts, wait for the target to arrange a meeting and then confront them on camera and call the police.
Cardwell, from Darlington, told one of the vigilantes he unwittingly made contact with online: ‘I can teach you all sorts.’
He said he had a van with a double bed and encouraged one of the ‘girls’ to lie to her parents about having a sleepover with friends in order that they could meet.
Members of the Net Justice then confronted him at his home, leading to his eventual arrest by police.
Responding to the case, Ron Hogg, Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: ‘I don’t think there’s really a place for vigilante groups in policing. Too many times they can undermine police inquiries. I know that the public feel confident to submit evidence to the police so that they can do their job thoroughly and professionally.’
The vigilantes reacted with fury at Mr Hogg’s comments.
Dark Light said: ‘We handed you another sexual predator with all the evidence you required. Until you people start doing what you’re paid for, we’ll keep catching them for free. Cardwell never would have been on your radar. We don’t interfere with police investigations, we make them a lot easier.’
A High Court judge ruled last year the groups were free to catch paedophiles as they were acting as ‘private citizens’.
In 2016, 114 cases for ‘meeting a child following sexual grooming’ came from volunteer stings.