Online ‘Pedophile Hunters’ Are Growing More Violent — and Going Viral
www.nytimes.com
With the rise of loosely moderated social media platforms, a fringe vigilante movement is experiencing a dangerous evolution.
  • @[email protected]English
    5•5 months ago

    It’s usually done by posing as a teenager in chats, then they get confronted at the meet-up.

    Pretty solid way to identify the right person.

    • @[email protected]English
      3•5 months ago

      Ah, catch a predator style. Gotcha. Removed my comment because it was wrong. So far anyway.

      • @[email protected]English
        2•5 months ago

        I mean, I don’t know that ALL of them work that way, but the ones I’ve seen do. I have mixed feelings about the whole scenario.

        • @[email protected]English
          3•5 months ago

          I’m not a fan of vigilantism or mob justice save for the removal of objectively destructive and tyrannical leadership. Too many ways to get it wrong.

    • @[email protected]English
      6•5 months ago

      Pretty solid way to identify the right person.

      And that’s why entrapment is a legally sanctioned investigation strategy for law enforcement.

      Oh, wait, it isn’t, because of all the abuses that resulted from its use.

        • @[email protected]English
          2•5 months ago

          These folks include presenting a false person as being of age, then switching to underage at the time of meetup when the target shows up.

          A group descends upon the target who is now told they’re a pedophile.

          Then the group tries to kill the person who was trying to meet what they thought was an adult.

          And the perpetrators think this is justice.