‘Pretending to be a child online should be a crime’

Masquerading as a child online should become a criminal offence to help snare predators and deter vigilante paedophile hunters, an inquiry has heard. Jim Gamble, a former police chief, said the law should be changed so only those with permission or a reasonable excuse could pose as an under-18 on the internet. Police have previously expressed concern that groups that pretend to be children online to catch sex offenders put investigations at risk.