Paedophile-hunters defend their activities as producer convicted

A GROUP that hunts down paedophiles has defended its tactics after a television sports producer – who was confronted when he travelled to the UK to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl – admitted sex offences.

Kieran Creaven, inset, flew from Dublin to meet a “girl” he had groomed outside the Queens Hotel in Leeds. But the fictional teenager had been created by Leedsbased group Predator Exposure. When the 55-year-old turned up for the meeting, he was confronted by members of the group, who streamed the encounter live on the internet.

Yesterday, Creaven, who works for Irish broadcaster RTE, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to attempting to meet a child following grooming for a sexual purpose and of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, namely kissing and cuddling. Creaven, who lives in Dublin, was released on bail and will be sentenced in Leeds on February 12. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, his Irish nationality and to enter his pleas. According to the charges, the offences took place from July 1, when the defendant allegedly first contacted the “girl” online, to November 18, when he arrived at the hotel in the city. When Creaven appeared before magistrates last month, prosecutors outlined how, in one message, he said he “felt horny” and that he also sent an intimate photograph. He was confronted by members of Predator Exposure again as he left Leeds Crown Court. One – calling himself Phil – said he had met Creaven outside the hotel.

He said: “It’s a right result. You don’t get a better result. The evidence we have on him, he knows himself that he’s bang to rights.”

Phil added: “He obviously was a bit panicky but we told him ‘We’re not here to harm you, we’re here to protect you’. Once we’ve done the sting, we’ve a duty of care to make sure we protect him at all costs.”

Earlier this year, senior police officers warned that vigilante groups could put child abuse investigations at risk. Detective Superintendent Steven Woollett, of the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate, said in August that offenders might become more evasive as a result of groups’ actions.