[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

That's not true, there is a very good conviction rate actually.
Throughout history there been facebook has there?... If these predictors are using social media to hunt for victims then what is wrong with utilising that to expose them?
They have in the past made mistakes but are now organised, educated as to the remit of the laws in relation to these 'stings' .
Would I prefer it if the police were the ones doing it? Yes, however the resources just aren't there therefore as a parent this is preferable to me than nothing.

If these civilians prevent the abuse/ attack of a child then is it not worth it?

Who is "they"? This isn't one group, it's an absolute tonne of them, and for every one that's "learned to get it right" there's another blundering along / breaking the law themselves / actually assaulting people / targetting the WRONG people. For every live stream that goes viral another have-a-go-hero has the idea slap his mind that he should call his mates, lace up his steel toecaps and give it a go himself.

One of these groups that I personally know of targetted, "exposed" and harassed what turned out to be a 16 year old boy who thought he was meeting a 15 year old girl. I keep mentioning this on these threads, and it keeps being ignored, because people just don't want to accept that these groups are making HUGE ERRORS plenty of the time. This is within the last 6 months to a year. The "hunting" group then found themselves having their property vandalised and physical threats made against them... and tbqfh I can understand why. 4 burly football hooligans streaming a 16-year-old lad on social media and bellowing "paedophile" in his face.

Is online grooming a problem? Yes. But this is NOT the answer, and I worry deeply that people are going to consider this a "good enough" answer, with the failings just "collateral damage", and no one is going to bother actually seeking better solutions that don't involve vigilante justice. If we have to resort to vigilantism to solve our societal problems then we are in some serious, serious ****... the fact that the police are accepting / endorsing it just makes it even more scary. It's not something we should ever accept.

I'll say again; civilisations for thousands of years have had laws against vigilantes for very good reasons. Amateurs are going to make mistakes, hurt the wrong people, or get themselves hurt. It is inevitable.