Police to work with ‘paedophile hunters’ to snare perverts as use of their evidence soars
POLICE admit they may be willing to work with vigilante “paedophile hunters” as the number of cases being closed thanks to their evidence soars, new figures reveal.
Police have admitted they would consider working with paedophile hunters to jail perverts
Close to 45 per cent of cases tried for the crime of meeting a child following sexual grooming in 2016 were tried with evidence from the vigilante groups.
The number has shot up from just 11 per cent in 2014 as police become more dependent on the “paedophile hunters”.
The vigilantes, who pose as children online to try and snare sexual predators, have been asked to stop by police.
Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the national lead for child protection at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "[These] vigilante groups are putting the lives of children at risk.
"They might not perceive it that way, but they are potentially compromising our operations."
Mr Bailey continued: "I'm not going to condone these groups and I would encourage them all to stop, but I recognise that I am not winning that conversation.”
Vigilante paedophile hunters claim to be doing the Police's job
[These] vigilante groups are putting the lives of children at risk
The Chief Constable confirmed that working with these groups is something that police would “potentially have to look at” but also warned it would come with “real complexity”.
An online vigilante, who posed as an 11-year-old boy, helped jail David Taylor from Trowbridge, for 40 years.
The groups often operate by arranging meetings by posing as children and then filming the confrontation and posting it online.
Chief Constable Simon Bailey claimed the groups are putting children at risk
One paedophile hunter, Stephen Dure, has seen his online conversations used in three court cases this year.
Mr Dure said: "I've had policemen come up to me to shake my hand... to thank me. Whereas high-up police are trying to stop us."
Police officers are concerned because groups will often post videos of confrontations online before a case has come to trial, meaning the evidence is potentially useless in court.
Paedophile hunter Stephen Dure claims police officers have thanked him
Mr Dure, who is also known as Stevie Trap, said he is willing not to upload the videos.
He is positive about the possibility of working with the police he said: "I think it's great and just the idea they're thinking about it excites me.
"I really look forward to it and hope it happens in the future, I would be very willing to work with the police."