Paedophile hunting has become a ‘cottage industry’

Court hears how one man was tricked by three different vigilante groups operating at the same time

VIGILANTE groups who track down paedophiles online are becoming a “cottage industry”, a court has heard, after it emerged that one defendant had been duped into making contact with three separate “fake” victims.

Mark Cardwell, 39, was jailed after a court heard he had exchanged explicit messages with girls online, one of whom he believed to be 12 years old.

In one message Cardwell – who had a mattress in the back of his van – encouraged the girl to lie to her parents about having a sleepover with friends so they could meet.

Cardwell, of Darlington, County Durham, told another: “I can teach you all sorts.” But in fact he had been taken in by false profiles posted by three separate paedophile hunting groups at the same time. The three groups named in court – Dark Light, Net Justice and Hunters 24/7 – are among at least 75 vigilante organisations in the UK. They have been credited with bringing scores of dangerous offenders to justice, but Ron Hogg, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham, warned that paedophile hunters risked undermining police inquiries.

Sentencing Cardwell to 18 months in prison, the judge in the case, Recorder Amanda Rippon, expressed surprise at the number of vigilante groups now operating, prompting Cardwell’s barrister, Chris Baker, to describe it as a “cottage industry”.

Prosecutor Robin Turton told Teesside Crown Court that conversations involving Cardwell in September last year would start innocuously, but would get more explicit, with the defendant requesting and sending naked pictures and encouraging the girls to commit sex acts. Eventually one group confronted him at his home and alerted members of his family, leading to his arrest.

Cardwell told police he was in “selfdestruct mode” and claimed to have no sexual interest in children.

Mr Hogg, the local PCC, said: “Obviously I’m grateful for the evidence which has led to a conviction in this case, but I don’t think there’s really a place for vigilante groups in policing. Too many times they can undermine police inquiries.”

In another case a detective with Essex Police is facing jail after admitting grooming someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy, only to discover it was a paedophile hunting group.

Det Con John Davies-brewin arranged to meet the youngster after chatting on social media.

But when the 50-year-old arrived for the liaison in Colchester armed with “a number of sexual articles”, the boy turned out to be a vigilante adult who filmed the encounter and then contacted the police.

Davies-brewin, of Colchester, Essex, will be sentenced later this month.