Evidence from vigilante groups was used in nearly half of prosecutions involving grooming and meeting a child PAPolice may have to consider working with vigilante “paedophile hunters” even though their activities put children at risk, the country’s top child protection officer has said. Groups who pose as children online to ensnare predators contributed evidence to nearly half of prosecutions last year for grooming and meeting a child, up from one in nine in 2014, according to data released under freedom of information laws. Chief Constable Simon Bailey, lead officer for child protection at the National Police Chiefs Council, has denounced the practice and warned of unseen consequences when vigilante stings go wrong. However, he conceded that officers would “potentially have to look at” working with vigilantes. Mr Bailey told the BBC: “[These] vigilante groups are putting the lives of children at risk.…

Source: The Times September 18, 2017 07:52 UTC