This is the moment a vigilante group confront a suspected child groomer hoping to meet a 13-year-old girl in a town centre.
The video captures at least two men from a group called Silent Justice cornering the man in Grimsby and accusing him of sending lurid messages to the girl, who was actually ‘bait’ used to trap suspected groomers.
At first the man becomes aggressive after he is confronted in Old Market Place but then cowers against a wall, hiding his head with a hood, chainsmoking.
The video was posted online by the Silent Justice group who said they used a ‘decoy’ called ‘Lil Brummie’ who had been posing as a 13-year-old schoolgirl.
At that point the man can be seen smashing his mobile phone on the ground.
The man can be seen smashing his mobile phone on the ground after he is confronted by the vigilante group
He is told: ‘You can smash your phone. That’s fine that. Keep smashing it up.’
As the man protests, his accuser claims to be making a citizen’s arrest.
The incident happened in Grimsby on Saturday afternoon and members of the public can be seen nearby.
After more than 20 minutes police arrive at the scene after being called by one of the members of Silent Justice who claims her colleague is being ‘attacked’. The man can be seen being led to a waiting police van.
Methods of so-called ‘paedophile hunters’ have been condemned by Humberside Police.
The video captures at least two men from a group called Silent Justice cornering the man in Grimsby and accusing him of sending lurid messages to the girl, who was actually ‘bait’ used to trap suspected groomers
Methods of so-called ‘paedophile hunters’ have been condemned by Humberside Police
A spokeswoman said: ‘Whilst we share the concerns of groups seeking to expose the activity of potential child sex offenders, it is essential that they allow us to do our job and not take matters into their own hands.
‘It is the police that are responsible for investigating these serious crimes and we are best placed to achieve this in the interests of victims and the public.
‘Any group planning this hunter/exposure style activity should reconsider their actions and instead report their concerns to Humberside Police on 101 or if the call for service is urgent on 999 so we can take appropriate action.’
On Monday a 52-year-old man from the East Marsh area of Grimsby appeared in court charged with communicating on one or more occasions between October 1 and 14 with a girl aged 13 years and the communication was of a sexual nature and committing incitement between October 1 and 15 to engage in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl.
He was remanded into custody to appear again at Grimsby Crown Court.
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