BIRMINGHAM, England—Self-styled “pedophile hunters” in the United Kingdom can snare criminals by posing as children online, according to a recent landmark court ruling.
Pedophile stings have increased in recent years, with about a dozen groups setting up fake online profiles of children, some as young as 11, then confronting groomers who arrange to meet them for sexual acts.
Videos of confrontations are often posted online, with some getting over 200,000 views.
In the case heard by the Newcastle Crown Court, two men argued that the pedophile hunter organization Dark Justice had improperly gathered evidence against them.
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