'Vigilante' groups putting online child abuse cases at risk, North Yorkshire Police warn
The force said it's seen a rise in groups posting videos online, confronting people they believe to be groomers
Last updated 5th Oct 2022
North Yorkshire Police have warned 'vigilante' groups who confront people they suspect to be groomers are putting online child abuse cases at risk.
In a statement, the force said it's seen a rise in groups live-streaming or posting videos, after using 'decoy' victims.
The groups often call police during filming or when the posts have been put out, which police said is generally far too late to prevent hampering the course of justice.
Detective Inspector Paula Eccles is from our Safeguarding team: "The police service does not endorse Online Child Abuse Activist Groups and we will not work with them.
"Unlike our highly-trained officers in the Online Abuse & Exploitation Team and the Digital Forensics Unit, they operate without any procedures to keep people safe.
“There is no way of making sure that these groups act on reliable evidence and we have seen instances of the wrong people being targeted such as vulnerable adults. This creates unnecessary anguish and diverts vital police resources away from other victims.
“The standard of evidence that is gathered is also often poor, there are issues with legal disclosure, and the way the groups share their evidence publicly online before it has been tested at court.
“Some evidential issues can even cause cases to collapse. This is completely unacceptable.”
The force said protecting children is a priority and said anyone who wants to get involved in policing an join as a special constable or become a police volunteer.