Online child abuse activist groups or vigilantes have taken steps which has led to the arrest and prosecution of a number of individuals for online and other offences relating to children. In many instances this has involved members of these groups pretending to be children online through fake social media profiles, thus causing suspects to engage or make contact.
These groups while controversial (for example. they may hinder police investigation), can be argued to have been effective in a number of instances. However, they are not an alterative to the Police, or a support system to the Police. A risk these groups take is that they cannot obtain the protection of the Law if in the course of their work they produce, make, or distribute any indecent images of children.
The confrontation with the suspect is usually filmed or even livestreamed or placed on social media sites like YouTube. This moment of confrontation is fraught with tension and has the potential to lead to violence or other offences either by the vigilantes or the suspect. However, the recordings can lead to useful information in the form or a confession or a defence or explaination by the suspect.
There is nothing to suggest that these groups are supported by the Police in any respect. Vigilantes are discouraged by the police from using real children in their operations, indeed there is a strong possibility that the Crown Prosecution Service may not consider it to be in the interests of justice to proceed to charging an offence.
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