Are Paedophile Hunter Groups Legal?

Paedophile hunter groups are not law enforcement but at the moment, rightly or wrongly, there are no laws in place prohibiting them from what they do. Hunter groups are formed by members of the public often with ordinary jobs and lives of their own. Hunter groups will use social media platforms to carry out their “work”, such as Facebook, Snapchat, GrindR, Jaumo, KIK and Instagram. By not being law enforcement they have no or very little understanding of the rules of evidence which can inevitably set them up to fail, destroying prosecutions and people’s lives. The activities of these groups, which have sometimes involved the use of violence against alleged suspects, are antithetical to numerous core values and functions of the criminal justice system, not to mention how the human rights of a suspects may be violated.

How Paedophile Hunter Groups Operate

Paedophile hunter groups set up fake accounts on social media platforms pretending to be children, they are known to use photos of adults who look very young to give their account and fake profile credibility. Well known hunter groups such as Cobra have many people working with them, managing the social media accounts and engaging with adults daily with the hope that sexual offences will be committed.

They will usually make it very clear throughout the conversation of their pretend age, this is done for evidential purposes, so that when they do apprehend the accused there is no defence available to them that they did not know it was a child. They may make reference to school, homework, or their parents. Repeated use of a person making reference to them being a child is a common tool used by those posing undercover online as children.

When enough evidence is gathered through the chat the hunter groups will look to arrange a meeting. The accused will think they are meeting a child only to be confronted by the hunter group. This meeting is often streamed on social media, with the accused having to endure being berated, a step as defence lawyers we take serious issue with.

Mobile phone showing social media application icons

As private citizens, paedophile hunters’ activities fall outside the scope of guidelines that law enforcement must comply with when carrying out undercover sting operations. However, they depend on the police and prosecution service to bring offenders to justice. However, justice can not be administered if the evidence collected is unlawful, or the rights of the accused have been compromised.

"In 2023 90% of the evidence in offences of meeting a child following online sexual grooming came from hunter groups."

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Mistakes Made by Paedophile Hunter Groups and the Impact on a Fair Trial

Nationwide there have been a number of cases of mistaken identity by hunter groups, leading to people being falsely accused of very serious sexual offences against children. What can lead to false identification is the ability to clone other people’s social media accounts and use their identity to commit criminal offences. The actual owner of the account, is none of the wiser as to what is going on and how their identity is being used until the hunter group posts about them online, by this point the damage to their reputation is done.

Individuals can also be falsely targeted for no other reason than to cause trouble for them. Once a hunter group is alerted to the potential that there is a person potentially engaging online and committing child sexual offences, they will out them as soon as possible regardless of whether or not there is proof.

Hunter groups have no real understanding of the rules of evidence, how evidence should be gathered and securely stored. They also do not understand the potential impact of parading the accused online could have on a trial, and how the accused's rights to a fair trial under article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights can be severely affected, leading to the case being withdrawn.

The consequences of improper evidence gathering and tactics used by hunter groups can seriously impact the proper administration of justice, leading to failed prosecutions.

What Hunter Groups Do Not Consider

Hunter groups are very narrow minded, and have one aim. They want to reach this aim and obtain as much glory for themselves online as possible, not giving consideration to potentially very important issues such as the mental health or mental capacity of the accused, and any family they have who would be impacted.

At Eventum Legal we have represented many neurodivergent clients in circumstances where they have been accosted by hunter groups, and we have successfully challenged the hunter groups approach and their evidence gathering, giving particular consideration to the special educational needs of our client. This has led in a vast majority of these cases, where these circumstances apply not being prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

How the Police Respond To Paedophile Hunter Groups

UK police are given one new child abuse claim to investigate every seven minutes, while the National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that 550,00 to 850,000 people pose a sexual threat to children in the UK. Together with the police, the NCA arrests, on average, 842 suspects a month for child sex offences. This is a huge number, and it is our job as defence lawyers to challenge the arrests, the evidence and to assist those facing serious criminal charges.

Police do not usually engage directly with hunter groups, but when they are presented with evidence by them they investigate that as they would with any other complaint made. In 2023 police force statistics shown that 90% of the evidence in cases whereby an adult had gone on to meet a child following online sexual grooming came from hunter groups. This is 90% of cases whereby the evidence has the potential to be fraught with issues concerning lawfulness, reliability and credibility.

Defending Cases Based on Evidence From Paedophile Hunter Groups

Thorough consideration must be given to any evidence presented in a criminal case. Evidence which arises from members of the public in such serious and sensitive sexual offence cases is open to severe criticism. At Eventum Legal we have had many cases dropped whereby the accused may have committed an offence but, the way in which the evidence has been gathered and the accused apprehended removes the right to a fair trial the ultimate cornerstone of the English legal system, and creates difficulties for the Crown Prosecution Service.

How Eventum Legal Can Help You

With significant experience in defending sexual offence cases, our lawyers take a meticulous approach to the examination of prosecution evidence; where it has come from, who has obtained the evidence, the content of the evidence and how this has been used. Our aim is to identify flaws in any evidence gathered so that we can challenge the lawfulness of it, and how it may not be admissible for use in court proceedings. Whilst doing this we are a strong support to our clients, working alongside you and ensuring your wellbeing and reputation are protected.

Navigating an allegations of a child sex offence is difficult, it can cause feelings of anxiety and shame but our friendly, non judgemental team are here to help you. We offer free initial and strictly confidential advice.

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By Jessica Wilson • April 22, 2025

Has your case been listed for pre-trial review? Are you concerned about what the hearing may entail? Our team have put together this short fact sheet which provides some guidance as to why a pre-trial review may be listed and what happens in the courtroom. Pre-trial reviews are not always necessary, however in cases which may have complex issues, be anticipated to be lengthy trials, or issue have arisen during trial preparation between the parties, then a pre-trial review is likely to be required. What is a Pre Trial Review? A pre-trial review is exactly what the name suggests, it is an opportunity for the court review the case prior to trial. The judge will ensure that both parties have met previous directions set by the court, and that there is no outstanding issues or reasons which may cause a delay to the trial. If there are any issues that have arisen between the parties they will be aired and the judge, where required, may set directions to the prosecution and defence with the aim being to resolve the problems, and to enable trial to begin and run effectively. Issues that can arise during trial preparation may include: 1. Applications to introduce bad character , this can be of the defendant or any other trial witnesses. 2. Applications to introduce hearsay evidence 3. Problems with witnesses 4. Delays caused by either part, where material should have been served and hasn't. 5. Applications for disclosure of documents which the defence may need and they are being withheld. Do I need to attend my pre-trial review? Yes, the defendant in a case is almost always required to attend their pre-trial review. It can also be useful for the defendant's attendance so that they can remain fully involved and aware of the process and decisions being taken in their case. You will not be asked any questions at the hearing but the judge may wish for you to acknowledge the outcome of the hearing and directions set, particularly if there is work for the defence team to carry out. Will my barrister attend my pre-trial review? You must always be represented at any court hearing. Our team take great pride in our meticulous preparation for all court hearings and your barrister would be instructed to attend your pre-trial review, with a detailed brief which would detail any issues we have with the prosecution or delays that are affecting our ability to prepare for trial. Do my witnesses have to attend my pre-trial review? No, your witnesses do not have to attend your pre-trial review. No evidence will be heard during the hearing, it is to establish readiness for trial only, resolve issues that could potentially cause delays, and to give the court confirmation that the current date listed for trial will be able to remain. How long does a pre-trial review hearing take? How long a pre-trial review hearing takes depends on the nature of the case and whether any issues require addressing by the judge. The court will usually want to process pre-trial review hearings quickly, and in sexual offence or domestic abuse cases the hearings can last anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour. How Eventum Legal can help Our team take a meticulous approach to trial preparation and will always be alert to any issues that could affect your case. We take a no stone unturned approach and we are not afraid to challenge decision of the CPS at hearings before the courts. We have select barristers which we work regularly with when defending sexual and domestic violence cases so you are provided with a strong and experienced team who are dedicated thorough preparation and presentation of your case. If you have a pre-trial review hearing approaching and are unrepresented, or feel that your current legal team are not making the progress required then contact us for a free initial consultation where we will assess your case, circumstances and the future of any court hearings.