The internet is vast, with new apps being launched all the time. No govt could possibly police all of it. Having said that, the police and vigilantes clearly target certain places, which are known to be a problem. The Kik app being one of them. Some of the chatrooms have moderators, but others clearly do not. Perhaps the online safety bill will result in more of these places being moderated, although the ones that are based outside of the UK are not under our laws and can do what they wish.

Absolutely. I worry about what they do for a number of reasons - firstly, they must be engaging with actual children whilst 'hunting' online. I find this terrifying. Secondly, how many people are they actually entrapping? Some of the bits of transcripts you see clearly points to coercion and very underhanded behaviour by these people. I seen one where the 'vigilante' reiterated several times that they were 18, and then suddenly wanted to arrange a meeting and they inexplicably stated they were a young teenager after the meet was arranged.
This said, I do find it astounding that there is not a properly managed requirement to police people trying to groom the vulnerable online. It wouldn't need to even be the police, but a civil service department with strict guidelines doing things properly.

Oh almost certainly. It's almost guaranteed that they'll have a bunch of convictions themselves as well.

I'm pretty sure that for the majority of these are a deliberate distraction from something they themselves are doing that they know they shouldn't be, psychological projection.

HI
How I love the language of the media. "He was HAULED back to the court", makes you think with this sort of exaggerated use of wording what sort of "degree" they obtained at Uni.

Mind you all this just to give 1 more month; its not like his life will suffer or be disgriminated against when applying for a job. Mind you his PO might write a character ref for him.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

I can't say his name rings a bell but I'm glad he's been pulled up.

Something just sits very wrong with me about these vigilante groups. Mainly the whole posing as children to lure folk in just seems... weird..?

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/self-important-county-durham-paedophile-27782164

Sam Miller is in trouble again.