A number of self-proclaimed “paedophile hunters” have sprung up online over the last decade, producing video content where they track down and “expose” ostensibly predatory men who they engage in explicit conversations by pretending to be children.
Many of these content-creators are inspired by the former Dateline show To Catch A Predator, where adult men arrived at sting houses expecting to have sexual relations with a minor, only to be greeted by the stern face of NBC journalist Chris Hansen and the phrase “take a seat”.
But is any of this vigilantism legal?
Using a Carriage Service to Menace, Harass or Cause Offence
Posting material online which depicts people as child sexual offenders, even if you think it's true, carries a real risk of criminal prosecution.
