Seven suspected paedophiles have been arrested after parents pretended to be children to snare predators online.
Their details were passed to police by Letzgo Hunting, whose members have been confronting people they believe are child sex perverts in the Midlands.
The group of six mothers and fathers start up conversations with targets via social media before arranging to meet them in public places and posting footage of the resulting angry scenes.
They want to protect children from harm – but police have warned their DIY approach may be counter-productive and risks tarnishing the reputation of innocent people.
‘While we understand the strong feelings that motivate this kind of activity, it can seriously affect the chances of success in court, preventing victims from getting justice and increasing the chances of offenders walking free,’ a Leicestershire police spokesman said.
Letzgo Hunting – which says it is in touch with 35 suspects on the web – has used pictures of one of its members disguised as a teenage girl as bait to lure predators.
In video footage, a member is seen running after a suspect, while challenging him about inappropriate messages the group accuses him of sending.
As a result of the group’s activities, Leicestershire police arrested a 54-year-old man in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, a 24-year-old man in Loughborough, and a 33-year-old man in Hinckley.
Warwickshire police arrested a 26-year-old man in Nuneaton, a 54-year-old man in Leamington and a 51-year-old man in the north Warwickshire area. All six are out on bail pending further inquiries.
As well as words of warning from police, Letzgo Hunting has come in for criticism online.
But the group’s leader, who calls himself Scumm Buster, said: ‘Ninety per cent of people think what we are doing is great and are really supportive.
‘The others just don’t seem to understand what we are doing – they probably don’t have kids.’
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