Vigilante ‘paedophile hunter’ charged over stings in SA

A self-styled ‘paedophile hunter’ who led South Australian police to two alleged child sex predators has been charged with offences related to his amateur ‘sting’ operations.

The online campaigner posted videos of two stings on alleged paedophiles who had agreed to meet with him after he put up a profile pretending to be a teenage boy.

The 42-year-old vigilante did not conceal the identity of the men he targeted in the videos, according to The Advertiser.

 

Adelaide’s self-described ‘pedo hunter’ as he appears in one of his videos posted online

An Adelaide vigilante confronted an alleged paedophile (pictured) he lured to a train station 

An Adelaide vigilante confronted an alleged paedophile (pictured) he lured to a train station 

A screenshot allegedly sent by one of the vigilante's targets after he posed as a teeange boy

A screenshot allegedly sent by one of the vigilante’s targets after he posed as a teeange boy

South Australian law bans the publication of the identity of people charged with a sexual offence until they plead guilty or are committed to stand trial.

During the first sting, the man grabbed an alleged paedophile’s shirt as he performed a citizen’s arrest.

The man, who calls himself ‘Adelaide pedo hunter’, was on Friday questioned by police before being charged with four offences.

He faces charges of aggravated assault, two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, and one count of publishing the identity of a person charged with a sexual offence.

Following the first sting operation the vigilante said he wanted police to conduct their own investigations and said he did not ‘mete out my own type of punishment’.

The father-of-one said he embarked on his campaign because he had been abused as a teenager and wanted to expose child sex offenders.

Police were called to an Adelaide train station after a vigilante 'arrested' an alleged paedophile

Police were called to an Adelaide train station after a vigilante ‘arrested’ an alleged paedophile

However, police said the videos were of concern and there was a ‘risk these may further create to all parties involved.’

The officer in charge of the Sturt CIB, Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Overmeyer, said those who took the law into their own hands could ‘expose themselves to facing criminal charges’.

‘Let us do our job,’ Detective Chief Superintendent Overmeyer said.

‘Don’t take the law into your own hands in relation to any criminal matter. If you have information, or suspect that a criminal act has taken place – contact the police.

‘Anyone who believes they have evidence of criminal behaviour should call police, not create a confrontation which, in turn, could create a risk to personal safety.’

The man, from Adelaide’s western suburbs, has been granted bail and will face Adelaide Magistrates Court in February.

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