Founded in 2008, ABSOLUTE ZERO UNITES is a blog covering corrupt politicians and vigilantes who abuse sex offense registries to commit crimes (murder, assault, harassment, vandalism). This is a journalism blog; all articles posted in this blog is covered by Fair Use under 17 USC 107. All opinions are my own, and all persons featured here are (IMHO, of course) criminals and assorted losers.
The Problems Facing the New Breed of Vigilante Pedophile Hunters
By Matt Broomfield
May 19, 2016
Bringing pedophiles to justice might seem like a pretty black-and-white moral issue. But when you have neo-Nazis and drug barons on one side and innocent or psychologically vulnerable men on the other, the waters become a little murkier. Yesterday, a vigilante pedophile hunter was jailed for life for stabbing an innocent man to death. In a seemingly typical ploy, 42-year-old Darren Kelly was lured to a property in Pitsea, Essex by a 15-year-old girl. But two things went wrong. Firstly, as a spokesperson for Essex Police makes clear: "Mr. Kelly thought he had been speaking to a woman [the 15-year-old girl's mother]. There was no evidence he was interested in underage girls." Secondly, rather than a dressing-down on camera, Kelly received a beating at the hands of Chris Carroll and three teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Carroll, 20, then stabbed him with a hunting knife and fled the scene, but forensic detectives pinned him to the crime. Carroll will serve 21 years for murder, but his co-defendants were released without charge. Anti-pedophile activism has been associated with illegality and violence in the past, and has been practiced by some of society's more unsavory characters. In the 1970s, for instance, the National Front picketed meetings of the Paedophile Information Exchange, and it was the NF, the British National Party, and the English Defence League that led protests in 2014 against the sexual abuse of 1,400 children in Rotherham—the fact the perpetrators were British-Pakistani Muslim men no doubt being a contributing factor. In 2003, 60-year-old Scottish crime boss Maggie "Big Mags" Haney was sentenced to 12 years for running a drug-dealing ring which sold four-figure sums of heroin daily out of a base known as "Haney's Hotel." Before that arrest, the grandmother attracted headlines as a militant campaigner against child grooming on her Stirling council estate. Other vigilante campaigns are less carefully-orchestrated. In 2000, an innocent man, Iain Armstrong, was targeted because he was wearing a similar neck-brace to a convicted sex offender. The same year, pediatrician Yvette Cloete was hounded from her home by impassioned but somewhat confused protesters. Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, was registered as disabled and unable to work when he arrived in Britain as a refugee in 2013. But when he photographed children vandalizing his hanging baskets, Bristol police took him into custody, carting him away in front of a crowd chanting: "Pedo, pedo." Mr. Ebrahimi was soon released without charge. The night of his release, he was beaten, dragged from his home, and set on fire by his neighbor Lee James. James is serving life for his murder, and two police officers were imprisoned for deliberately ignoring a string of panicked phone-calls from the victim. A more recent wave of anti-pedophile activists have been taking the fight from the streets to the internet. These vigilantes set up an online honey-trap, posing as underage children and arranging to meet adult men, before bursting out to confront them with a video camera. Many of those involved say they are themselves survivors of abuse. The trend was popularized by 34-year-old vigilante Stinson Hunter, who started confronting alleged pedophiles in 2012 "to make waves and get parents, the government, and people who can change things talking." He feels the Carroll murder was an inevitable tragedy, as multiple copy-cat vigilantes have sought to emulate his work for less honorable reasons. "It's getting out of hand," Hunter says over the phone, his voice rising with emotion. "It's heartbreaking. This guy got murdered, and for what? Because a bunch of muppets wanted a fast track to fame and to look cool in front of their mates." Hunter says he "always talks to [his targets] like they're my best friend." While this might be stretching the point a little—friends don't often hit other friends with cars, which is what happened to Hunter when he went to confront a target in Warwickshire—he has certainly never laid hands on any of his subjects. Other YouTube warriors are less pacifistic. Last year, a member of a group called "NWI Nonce Busters" was jailed for head-butting a man who thought he was arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl. His target lost his front teeth and 12 months of freedom, after a judge found him guilty of grooming. ("NWI" indicates a link to the "North West Infidels," one of the dominant neo-Nazi groups currently active in England, whose members have been imprisoned for moving cocaine across the north of the country.) Nor are head-butts the worst of it. Michael Duff killed himself after being confronted by a group known as True Justice, and Gary Cleary committed suicide following an altercation with Leicestershire vigilantes Letzgo Hunting. In a well-publicized case, Michael Parkes hanged himself while out on bail after being entrapped by Stinson Hunter. At the time, Hunter "accepted no responsibility" for Parkes' death, and he remains remorseless: "Yeah, a guy killed himself after talking to me, but he made his own choices." But there is more than one way to catch a predator. Groups such as Dark Justice, Online Predator Investigation Team (OPIT), and Public Justice PHL (PJ-PHL, formerly known as Paedophile Hunters London) position themselves as the Co-ops of the crowded pedophile-hunting market, claiming to adopt a more ethical approach to extra-judicial crime-fighting. "Shouting, 'Give me your fucking phone, you fucking nonce,' doesn't get you anywhere," says Jay, a member of PJ-PHL's two-man team. "The minute you attack these people it becomes a different kind of crime. You turn them into a victim." Stinson Hunter pours scorn on groups who work with the police, and says he releases his videos before trial because his goal is raising awareness, not custodial sentences. (This contradicts his position in a 2013 Channel 4 documentary, where he wept with joy after securing his first conviction.) But all of these second-generation vigilante organizations withhold their video footage until the relevant court cases are closed, saying they prefer securing convictions to hogging the limelight. "Everyone, including child abusers, has the right to a fair trial," says Callum, a member of Dark Justice. His team are advised by practicing solicitors and barristers, as well as human rights experts, and he claims to have secured 48 arrests and 22 convictions. (Stinson Hunter has racked up over 50 convictions.) "Often, we don't release videos at all," says Brendan Collis of OPIT. "We get the evidence, get them prosecuted, and then release their details." His teenage daughter Leah was groomed by a 40-year-old man, who then abused her in a hotel room. Since that scarring attack, he and his daughter (who's now of age) have used old photos of Leah to entrap sexual offenders. All of these groups rightly point to the failure of courts and police to adequately tackle sexual crime. "They need more funding, and they need more training," says PJ-PHL's Jay. He thinks a targets-driven culture forces police to focus on crimes that are easier to convict. Fewer than ten percent of child sex offenses in the UK result in a conviction. But though all three organizations vehemently condemn Carroll's attack, no one seems sure how to stop a repeat of the Kelly murder. "That's like asking if the Loch Ness monster is real," shrugs Callum of Dark Justice. "No one knows." Brendan of OPIT doesn't think people will ever stop taking the law into their own hands: "Even the most placid of people will react. [Carroll and his co-defendants] might not have killed anyone, had they not been blinded by anger." A house that was firebombed and graffitied after it was revealed a convicted child abuser lived inside. Photo courtesy of Online Predator Investigation Team A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command argues that amateurish vigilante action could have a number of other "serious consequences," including "the compromise of ongoing investigations into pedophile networks, abusers harming a child if they feel threatened, and individuals being mistaken for offenders." American statistics also suggest that around 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know their attacker beforehand, rather than meeting them online. Even acknowledging the failings of the police and setting aside the issue of knife-wielding watchmen, it feels hard to be sure that vigilantes like Stinson Hunter and his successors are doing more good than harm. Charities such as Circles, which provide sex offenders with small support networks, exemplify a more positive model for reducing rates of child sexual abuse. Speaking in 2013, Circles UK CEO Stephen Hanvey said: "Demonizing such serious offenders, even given the awful things they have done, renders them less safe, and less inclined even to attempt to lead offense-free lives. It has to be more about supportive vigilance than mere vigilantism." (A spokesperson for Circles told VICE they could not comment specifically on the issue of vigilantism.) Online Predator Investigation Team have provided photos (above) of a firebombed car and a house daubed with graffiti. The property was targeted after the vigilante group revealed the identity of its inhabitant, a man convicted of sexually abusing a child. "There was a child in that house," says Brendan. "Who's to blame? The pedophile? Us? Or both?" The names of vigilantes have been changed at their request.
Have you ever noticed how defensive vigilantes get when the spotlight shines on them? They don't like being outed. How ironic! But it isn't stopping members from threatening women for daring to question them. Well, I question them, so bring it on, punks!
Paedophile vigilantes terrorised us for daring to criticise them: Sisters left in fear after challenge to gang who outed online suspect Claire and Emma Harris have been bombarded with abusive messages At least two other people have received threats from the group By Andy Dolan Two sisters who criticised a group of online ‘paedophile hunters’ for confronting a suspect who later committed suicide were themselves viciously targeted by the group, it emerged last night. Claire and Emma Harris accused Letzgo Hunting of ‘acting like thugs’ after they were bombarded with abusive messages by the vigilante group, which also published one of the sisters’ social networking addresses online. At least two other people have also received threats or abusive messages from the group, which yesterday denied responsibility for causing the death of engineer Gary Cleary. One, who posted criticism on Letzgo Hunting’s Facebook page, said he received a reply from a follower warning: ‘I will cut your throat if I see you in the street’. Mr Cleary, 29, was confronted by Letzgo Hunting members in Braunstone Park, Leicester, in early May, but fled as they approached him. The group says it lured him there by posing as a 14-year-old girl in an online chat. The footage was posted online and he was arrested days later, questioned and released on bail. Mr Cleary, who lived with his girlfriend in Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire, was found dead in his garage four days later. Letzgo Hunting claim to be a band of concerned parents in Hinckley, Leicestershire, who pose as girls aged 12 to 15 on internet dating and social networking sites to set up meetings with paedophiles looking for sex. Footage of the confrontations is put on their website, as well as their Facebook and YouTube pages, with the suspect’s faces visible. If an arrest is made, the footage is doctored to disguise a suspect’s identity, but remains online. Yesterday the group told the BBC it would not change its methods following the death of Mr Cleary. But its founder, who uses the name ‘Jamie’, later posted a message saying he was leaving the group after his name was partially revealed online. He denied being responsible for any abuse from the Letzgo Hunting Facebook page and added: ‘If someone’s been upset by it, I wasn’t aware of it.’ Claire, 31, said that after she saw the group’s footage of its encounter with Mr Cleary in May, she messaged its Facebook page to condemn the tactic. But within hours she said it sent her a message branding her a paedophile. She was then blocked from posting further comments on its page. When her 34-year-old sister messaged the site to complain, the group posted her Facebook address and Twitter name on its webpage, with a message claiming she was supporting paedophiles. It urged the group’s 11,000 Facebook followers to ‘show her some love cuz I’ve had enough’. The siblings each reported the abuse and harassment to their local police forces. Last night Claire said some of those who had viewed the video had posted threats to kill Mr Cleary or said they knew where he lived. Emma, a single mother-of-one from North Yorkshire, said she feared for the safety of her child after Letzgo Hunting tweeted the name of her street in a message suggesting they should ‘go hunting’ in the neighbourhood. Another tweet warned her: ‘U will feel the love that paedophiles get, because, by condoning their actions and condemning ours, you are equal!’. She said: ‘I actually warned Letzgo Hunting that I was worried their videos could lead to somebody getting hurt or taking their own life. ‘I can’t believe the way they went for me. It only takes one idiot to decide to look me up – all for trying to have a civilised debate with these people on Facebook.’ Claire, a mother-of-three from Leicestershire, said she came across the group’s activities when a friend posted a comment on their video of the confrontation with Mr Cleary. She added: ‘I was immediately concerned that this way of working posed a risk to the public, not only to the men being targeted but also anybody mistaken for being the subject of one of their videos.’ Referring to Jamie, she said: ‘I also find it alarming that he works incognito to protect his own family, but thinks nothing of posting my sister’s details onto a public forum.’ An inquest at Loughborough last week concluded Mr Cleary had ‘died by his own hand’. Coroner Trevor Kirkman made no reference to his encounter with Letzgo Hunting or his arrest.
Police have already demanded the idiots at Letzgo Hunting, a PJ wannabe site, stop fucking up police work. Now they drove a man to suicide. Sorry bastards.
Gary Cleary suicide: Man hangs himself after vigilantes accuse him of being a paedophile
He was arrested after being confronted by the group who lure suspected sex offenders into real-life meetings by posing as young girls online
Hanged himself: Gary Cleary
Facebook
A man committed suicide days after vigilantes accused him of being a paedophile and grooming a child on the web.
Gary Cleary, 29, was arrested after being confronted in public by undercover online group Letzgo Hunting.
The vigilantes lure suspected sex offenders into real-life meetings by posing as young girls online.
Members then video confrontations and post footage on Facebook and YouTube before tipping off police.
Mr Cleary, who lived with his college worker girlfriend Melissa Andrews, was confronted in public by Letzgo Hunting members four months ago.
He was arrested and questioned by detectives from Leicestershire Police on May 9 after they were shown the footage.
The engineer, from Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire, was released on bail while officers looked at allegations.
He was found dead at home four days later.
A coroner last week recorded a verdict of suicide – but no mention of Letzgo Hunting was made at the inquest.
The hearing in Loughborough, Leicestershire, was told how a relative found Mr Cleary hanged in the garage of his semi-detached home.
Coroner Trevor Kirkman said: “Whatever may have occurred, or whatever may be thought to have occurred, is not a matter I need to go into.”
A relative of Melissa’s, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s a tragedy and has left everyone extremely upset.”
Criticising Letzgo Hunting, he added: “It’s a sad reflection on modern life that vigilantes operate on the internet.”
Mr Cleary’s family had no comment.
Letzgo Hunting was set up by three men and a woman, assisted by 13 helpers, in Hinckley, Leics, this year.
The founder, “Jamie”, said he would not change methods in the wake of Mr Cleary’s death.
He added: “We feel sorry for his family for the loss.”
Letzgo Hunting has led to the arrest of 12 in the county, but no charges.
The Association of Chief Police Officers said Letzgo Hunting’s tactics could allow suspects to dispose of any key evidence before the police became involved.
So now we have a group of Perverted-Justice copycats in bloody ol' England, botching investigations just like they did here in America. The Facebook group for these trolls have already been removed. Now if only it was that easy to remove the same websites in the USA!
Leave justice to us, police warn vigilante paedophile hunters using Facebook to lure suspects before confronting them
'Letzgo Hunting' members pose as underage girls for chats with predators
They set up meetings, film suspects and hand evidence to police
Group releases dramatic footage of members confronting 'suspect'
Police have warned them to leave justice to them
By Andy Dolan PUBLISHED: 04:01 EST, 22 April 2013 | UPDATED: 05:23 EST, 23 April 2013 A band of parents have formed a vigilante group to snare suspected paedophiles. Their tactics have led to six arrests – but police forces have reacted with anger, warning that they could be compromising existing investigations. The parents have set up dozens of profiles on dating and social networking websites, pretending to be girls aged 12 to 15. Scroll down for video
Confrontation: Members of Letzgo Hunting filming an encounter with an alleged would-be paedophile
Making a break: The suspect appears to start running once the group leader confronts him
Using these, the group, who call themselves Letzgo Hunting, exchange messages with suspected paedophiles, sometimes for weeks, before luring them into meetings in parks or other public areas. The parents, some of whom are trained in the martial arts of jujitsu and karate, film the resulting confrontations, in which they demand an explanation from the men and warn them to expect to be arrested.
They then upload the footage on to their website and Facebook page. Their most recent video, created on Sunday, shows a suspect flee as a vigilante gives chase in a park on the outskirts of Leicester.
Chase: When the man ran away, a vigilante ran after at him berating him for his alleged crimes
Surveillance: The group uses a hidden camera to film all its encounters with targets
Vigilantes: The Facebook homepage of 'Letzgo Hunting', a group of parents exposing alleged paedophiles
Social media: The group posts videos of its sting operations on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, pictured
The clip was viewed 4,000 times within two hours yesterday. The group’s Twitter account was also inundated with messages of support from members of the public as word of their activities spread. The group – three men and a woman assisted by 13 ‘helpers’ – admit to being vigilantes but say they are not a lynch mob and never threaten violence. But Leicestershire Police warned that such ‘naming and shaming’ tactics threatened ‘chances of success in court’, potentially blocking justice. Child welfare charity the NSPCC also urged the group to step back and said tracking down paedophiles must be done ‘by proper authorities’. And Warwickshire Police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre added to warnings that vigilantes could harm investigations. Letzgo Hunting’s leader, who calls himself Scumm Buster, told the Daily Mail he works in the security industry, but declined to reveal the backgrounds of the others. He said the group had 84 online profiles, using images of young-looking adult female friends with their consent. Sometimes these were airbrushed to remove signs of ageing such as wrinkles and ‘make the girls look obviously young’.
Arrests: Seven alleged predators have been apprehended over the past few weeks thanks to the group
Controversial: Police have warned that the vigilantes could be undermining legitimate law enforcement
He added: ‘Usually the men meet us under their real names but we will also try to find out what car they will be arriving in, so we can make a note of the registration plate to pass on to the police.’ He said the explicit nature of some of the men’s online messages was ‘shocking’, but explained it was crucial to actually meet each suspect because that is what proves their ‘intent’ to break the law under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by inciting a child to participate in a sexual act. The men are asked to bring condoms and alcohol to the meetings and sometimes the female member of the vigilante group is used as ‘bait’ to ensure the men step out of their cars. So far, they have carried out nine ‘stings’, resulting in seven confrontations. The other two men drove away after becoming suspicious. As a result, Leicestershire Police have arrested three men. One further arrest has been made by West Midlands Police, one by Warwickshire Police and another yesterday by Nottinghamshire Police. Scumm Buster said the group, aged 20 to 50 and from the Hinckley area of Leicestershire, are ‘close friends’ and openly film their suspects. The footage is immediately passed to the police and is removed from the group’s website when an arrest is made. They are currently monitoring up to 50 men online, he added.
