Predator Catchers / What Happens When Vigilante Groups, Not Police, Target Online Child Predators? скачать в хорошем качестве

Predator Catchers / What Happens When Vigilante Groups, Not Police, Target Online Child Predators?

A growing number of county prosecutors say they’re concerned about civilian groups taking the law into their own hands in an effort to expose alleged child predators. “It’s very dangerous,” said Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings. “They have engaged in very risky behavior here several times. Someone is likely to be hurt if they continue.” Similar statements have come out in recent weeks from prosecutors in Elkhart, Howard and Orange counties. Law enforcement officials call them vigilantes. But Austin Spain said he’s just trying to protect children in his community from a problem he believes the justice system can’t keep up with. “I've got different social media platforms where I have what I call 'decoy accounts' and it’s basically me posing as a 14-, 15-year-old girl,” said Spain. “The number of people willing to send pics or explicit messages or do anything at all and once they found out they're talking to a 14-year-old girl, they keep talking, they keep doing it. It was sickening.” In the last few years, dozens of similar groups have appeared on Facebook across the country including Predator Catchers Indianapolis, which now has more than 89,000 followers on Facebook. “We confront (alleged would-be offenders) and we expose them to let the community...all the communities know that these men are out there preying on children,” said founder Eric Schuette. The group recently confronted a local teacher on Facebook Live who organizers say they’d caught in their trap. They said the man thought he was meeting a teen for a sexual act. Police arrested the teacher and prosecutors charged him with child solicitation. “For every minute that we're talking with a predator, that's a minute they're not talking to an actual minor. (Instead) they're meeting us,” said Schutte. The suspect pleaded not guilty and will go on trial later this summer. Prosecutors warn confrontations could backfire Critics argue this kind of thing isn’t without major risks. “When citizens take matters into their own hands, it can usually be harmful to a successful prosecution, leading to someone who may well have been guilty walking free,” said Howard County Prosecutor Mark McCann. “Vigilantes also open themselves up to potential lawsuits for libel and slander should the person they are going after decide to bring a lawsuit.” After the incident with Dewitt, Predator Catchers Indianapolis posted rules for people to follow on their page. Among them, followers may not contact alleged offenders or anyone related to them. Followers must also refrain from posting full names of anyone online. Asked whether he think he’s playing with fire, Spain said he doesn’t disagree. “Eventually I may get hurt. (But) if I don't do it, somebody's for sure gonna get hurt right now,” he said. Learn more about why some organizations have asked these groups to stop ➡️ https://www.wthr.com/article/news/inv... 📍 INDIANAPOLIS 🎤 Dustin Grove » Watch more WTHR 13News:Watch Live and On-Demand Videos on WTHR | Indianapolis, Indiana | wthr.com WTHR Channel 13 brings you thoughtful and storytelling from central Indiana. You can access our collection of compelling stories at WTHR.com and WTHR +. We deliver the best in breaking news, live video coverage, original journalism and segments from Indianapolis. Connect with WTHR 13News Online: Visit WTHR.Com: Indianapolis Local News: Weather, Traffic, Sports and more | Indianapolis, Indiana | wthr.com Find WTHR 13News on Facebook: WTHR-TV | Facebook Follow WTHR 13News on Twitter: (3) WTHR.com (@WTHRcom) / Twitter #WTHR #WTHR13News #Indiana