'˜Sexual predator hunters' need to rethink live video says PSNI chief

Other legal and law enforcement experts have also voiced concerns after two ‘sting’ operations carried out by ‘Silent Justice’ in Northern Ireland in one week identified alleged offenders before any evidence had been subjected to professional evaluation.

Although the secretive group has been active in Great Britain for a number of months, its first live online exposé on this side of the Irish Sea took place on August 6 in Co Antrim – involving a 50-year-old man who took his own life two days later.

The group’s second confrontation took place in Co Down on August 13.

The online footage includes claims by the sting target’s brother that the accused man has learning difficulties. However, the Silent Justice representative can be heard explaining that the named man is under a “Section 24A citizen’s arrest”.

The group’s camera continued recording as uniformed police officers arrived at the scene – with one officer asking the activists why they hadn’t reported the alleged offender to police.

“What we are here to do is to expose these sexual predators,” he replied.

Detective Chief Superintendent George Clarke said he had concerns around the methods used by Silent Justice.

“I don’t understand, and I am troubled by, this concept of confrontation, exposé, and live [video] streaming,” he said.

“I think that could well jeopardise a trial, because everyone on Facebook has seen this man identified as a child sex abuser so that could be an issue – so he has not been convicted of anything before he is exposed.

“This is a man against whom they are making an allegation.

“Secondly, you have accused a man publicly and that can have risk consequences in Northern Ireland.”

DCS Clarke also expressed concern that the target of the Co Down confrontation could possibly have learning difficulties.

“If the brother is telling them that, then that is a vulnerable person? Is that how we want to work?...gather information like that and then broadcast it all over Facebook?” he said.

A spokesman for Silent Justice told the News Letter the group acts alone to confront suspects to avoid children remaining at risk while police investigations are ongoing.

Mr Clarke rejected that claim. He said: “If you come in to us and say ‘I have information that someone poses a danger to children and he has three children,’ we are not going to wait four weeks, we are going to deal with that there and then.”

Luke Gittos, solicitor and legal editor of the Spiked Online magazine, described “amateurs” getting involved in police-type activity as “the worst possible idea”.

Commenting on the activities of the Silent Justice group, he said: “It is in everyone’s interest that these matters are undertaken by the police, because it is only them that can ensure a safe and successful prosecution.”

Mr Gittos told the BBC’s Nolan Show: “The answer here is to give the police more resources to ramp up their investigative ability – not to empower vigilantes.”

A Facebook spokeswoman said the social media platform had examined the video confrontations being posted by Silent Justice and wanted to point out that they “do not tolerate bullying or harassment on Facebook”.

However, she said: “Having looked into the group, we can confirm that page and content don’t violate our bullying and harassment policies.”

She added: “As this query is linked to sexual predator hunters and alleged sexual offenders I also wanted to point out that we have zero tolerance for child exploitation on Facebook.”