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FILE PHOTO \u00a9 Getty Images \/ Rermrat Kaewpukdee \/ EyeEm<\/p><\/div>\n
RT.com<\/p>\n
By Chris Sweeney, author who has written for various UK magazines and newspapers, including The Times, The Sun and The Daily Record.<\/em><\/h4>\nA Supreme Court ruling has vindicated the activities of the unregulated groups who snare paedophiles with covert tactics. But those involved say it\u2019s unlikely to make a defiantly underground scene any more professional.<\/p>\n
After being vindicated by Britain\u2019s top legal minds, it looks like the country\u2019s controversial vigilante paedophile hunter groups are here to stay.<\/p>\n
Convicted paedophile Mark Sutherland\u2019s lawyer had\u00a0contested<\/a>\u00a0that evidence gathered by hunters and used to convict him had breached Article 8 of his\u00a0human rights<\/a>, which ensures \u201cRespect for your private and family life.\u201d<\/p>\nBut judges unanimously dismissed the appeal, in effect appearing to endorse the hunters\u2019 activities. And that has caused some concern. After the decision, Brian McConnachie QC\u00a0said<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cThe major concern I have is that these groups are now likely to consider that they have the green light to do what they want, effectively.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nThe irony is that those currently involved in the hunting community shun the idea of turning professional. Hunters pose online as \u2018decoys\u2019, pretending to be children, and interact with unsuspecting paedophiles.<\/p>\n
Once a meeting is arranged, the hunters carry out \u2018the sting\u2019.<\/p>\n
They film the confrontation as they present their evidence to the suspect, and post the shocking footage online.<\/p>\n
Prior to the sting, they request pictures which are used to verify an individual\u2019s identity. But their methodology is not foolproof; there have been incidents in the past\u00a0of innocent people<\/a>\u00a0getting swept up in things.<\/p>\nOliver Braid is a founding member of\u00a0Wolf Pack Hunters UK<\/a>, who started in October 2017. He said:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to tell how important the court’s verdict is at the moment.<\/em>We are keen to keep it unprofessional; the community is semi-self-regulating.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nThe hunters pride themselves on seeking no reward. They also appear to need no motivation to log hours and hours of activism.<\/p>\n
Oliver, who is based in Glasgow, explained:\u00a0\u201cThe UK scene is against money or donations, generally it’s viewed as making money from child abuse. People always want to pay for petrol or materials, but we don\u2019t ever accept.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWe are people doing stuff we believe in.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nOne obvious question is why hunters don\u2019t leave the tracking down of paedophiles to the authorities. Oliver believes it\u2019s down to misuse of resources.<\/p>\n
He explained:\u00a0\u201cAt Police Scotland, if you build up 10 years of service on basic beat patrol, you end up on \u00a340,000 a year<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cThe reason why the police don\u2019t do what we do on a big scale is they don\u2019t have the resources. But they\u2019re paying people \u00a340,000 a year. If you don\u2019t provide what people want, they’re going to do a DIY version.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nThere is no denying the success of the groups. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, paedophile hunters have been responsible for more than half of the grooming prosecutions over the last few years. In 2018, they\u00a0provided evidence<\/a>\u00a0in over 60 percent of the cases that went to court \u2013 a rise from just under 25 percent in 2016.<\/p>\nPolice Scotland\u00a0also reported<\/a>\u00a0that more than half of its prosecutions come from hunters, rising from a solitary case in 2016 to 54 by 2018.<\/p>\nBut not everyone supports their actions. Assistant Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic of the National Police Chiefs’ Council said:\u00a0\u201cOverall, the activity of these groups is not positive<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cWhen these groups say that they are acting in the interests of children, largely they are acting in their own interests, their self-aggrandisement and their desire to exercise force against so-called perpetrators of child abuse.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nThe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children added:\u00a0\u201cDespite their best intentions, their actions might put more children at risk of harm by driving offenders underground, endangering ongoing police work and the legal process, or result in innocent people being targeted.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nMembers of Wolf Pack were themselves\u00a0involved in violence<\/a>\u00a0during a confrontation, and the group now takes a less aggressive approach.<\/p>\nThere have also been suggestions that a sizeable amount of paedophile hunters may have criminal records, leading to further criticism.<\/p>\n
Oliver said:\u00a0\u201cMy view is, what would you rather they were doing? You can\u2019t expect people to completely change, but you can take their skills and reapply them.<\/em><\/p>\n
But judges unanimously dismissed the appeal, in effect appearing to endorse the hunters\u2019 activities. And that has caused some concern. After the decision, Brian McConnachie QC\u00a0said<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cThe major concern I have is that these groups are now likely to consider that they have the green light to do what they want, effectively.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The irony is that those currently involved in the hunting community shun the idea of turning professional. Hunters pose online as \u2018decoys\u2019, pretending to be children, and interact with unsuspecting paedophiles.<\/p>\n Once a meeting is arranged, the hunters carry out \u2018the sting\u2019.<\/p>\n They film the confrontation as they present their evidence to the suspect, and post the shocking footage online.<\/p>\n Prior to the sting, they request pictures which are used to verify an individual\u2019s identity. But their methodology is not foolproof; there have been incidents in the past\u00a0of innocent people<\/a>\u00a0getting swept up in things.<\/p>\n Oliver Braid is a founding member of\u00a0Wolf Pack Hunters UK<\/a>, who started in October 2017. He said:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to tell how important the court’s verdict is at the moment.<\/em>We are keen to keep it unprofessional; the community is semi-self-regulating.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The hunters pride themselves on seeking no reward. They also appear to need no motivation to log hours and hours of activism.<\/p>\n Oliver, who is based in Glasgow, explained:\u00a0\u201cThe UK scene is against money or donations, generally it’s viewed as making money from child abuse. People always want to pay for petrol or materials, but we don\u2019t ever accept.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe are people doing stuff we believe in.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n One obvious question is why hunters don\u2019t leave the tracking down of paedophiles to the authorities. Oliver believes it\u2019s down to misuse of resources.<\/p>\n He explained:\u00a0\u201cAt Police Scotland, if you build up 10 years of service on basic beat patrol, you end up on \u00a340,000 a year<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason why the police don\u2019t do what we do on a big scale is they don\u2019t have the resources. But they\u2019re paying people \u00a340,000 a year. If you don\u2019t provide what people want, they’re going to do a DIY version.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n There is no denying the success of the groups. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, paedophile hunters have been responsible for more than half of the grooming prosecutions over the last few years. In 2018, they\u00a0provided evidence<\/a>\u00a0in over 60 percent of the cases that went to court \u2013 a rise from just under 25 percent in 2016.<\/p>\n Police Scotland\u00a0also reported<\/a>\u00a0that more than half of its prosecutions come from hunters, rising from a solitary case in 2016 to 54 by 2018.<\/p>\n But not everyone supports their actions. Assistant Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic of the National Police Chiefs’ Council said:\u00a0\u201cOverall, the activity of these groups is not positive<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen these groups say that they are acting in the interests of children, largely they are acting in their own interests, their self-aggrandisement and their desire to exercise force against so-called perpetrators of child abuse.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children added:\u00a0\u201cDespite their best intentions, their actions might put more children at risk of harm by driving offenders underground, endangering ongoing police work and the legal process, or result in innocent people being targeted.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Members of Wolf Pack were themselves\u00a0involved in violence<\/a>\u00a0during a confrontation, and the group now takes a less aggressive approach.<\/p>\n There have also been suggestions that a sizeable amount of paedophile hunters may have criminal records, leading to further criticism.<\/p>\n Oliver said:\u00a0\u201cMy view is, what would you rather they were doing? You can\u2019t expect people to completely change, but you can take their skills and reapply them.<\/em><\/p>\n