Man arrested after arrival of '˜vigilante-style' group at care home

The man was arrested on suspicion of attempting sexual communication with a child, BBC News NI report.

The group who arrived at the home, described by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) as a “vigilante-type group”, had claimed to have gathered information about inappropriate online activity.

The BBC report that the so-called vigilantes were not aggressive and did not film or publicise the incident, in contrast with other recent ‘pedophile hunter’ groups who had operated in Northern Ireland.

This group, however, had asked to speak to the man, were refused, then handed over a file documenting the alleged inappropriate online activity and left the home.

Following the man’s arrest by the PSNI, he is no longer living at the home.

The incident happened last month.

A spokesperson for the RQIA said: “In early December 2018, RQIA was appropriately notified of an incident involving a vigilante-type group at a care home in Northern Ireland, which is subject to a PSNI investigation. The safety and wellbeing of all those living at this care home is of paramount importance to RQIA, and we continue to monitor this service through our ongoing inspection and regulatory activities.”