A shadowy group which snared a serial Angus pervert have denied they are “vigilantes who operate above the law”.
Dark Justice is a two-man Newcastle-based group set up in October 2014 – the duo behind the operation have remained anonymous.
The group has helped convict 40 people including former Tayside bus driver Ronald Young who was jailed on Friday for two years and three months at Newcastle Crown Court for grooming offences.
The 63-year-old travelled from Montrose to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but had fallen into a trap set by Dark Justice at the city’s Central Station.
When confronted at the train station, he tried to get away but was held until police arrived.
Known only as Callum and Scott, Dark Justice have been branded vigilantes, and have been criticised by the NSPCC who have said their operations could unintentionally result in people getting hurt, drive offenders underground or jeopardise ongoing police investigations, putting children at greater risk.
They have also been criticised for using entrapment methods to snare offenders.
However, the pair have defended their actions, saying they will continue to work to keep children safe.
The group said: “Some people are sceptical about what we do and how we do it.
“We’re not vigilantes who operate above the law, we’re concerned citizens who work closely with the police to help effect change and to keep our children safe.
“We will continue to work to catch these sexual predators who terrorise our children, and we’ll do our best to bring awareness to the epidemic our children are facing online today.”
Young, who was a former bus driver in Dundee, sent explicit messages involving bestiality to who he thought was a 13-year-old girl he had befriended on a chat site before travelling 200 miles from his home in Angus to meet her.
But he had been tricked and was instead arrested when he arrived in the city in December last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Young claimed he was just 18 and called himself “sports teacher”.
He said he wanted the supposed schoolgirl to meet his friends and talked about a sex act involving his pet.
Young, who was already on the sex offenders register due to past convictions, travelled by train to meet his young victim and even sent a “selfie” while on his way.
Dark Justice, who trawl the internet to expose paedophile activity, handed over a file of evidence about Young’s activities to police.
The group said: “When a person confirms that they are coming, and when our team spots them, we ring the police and report the crime.
“We then confront the person with cameras, and ask them about their actions and intentions.
“As soon as they have been arrested we go to the police station to make statements.
“If someone suggests a meeting after a chat online with our decoy and then doesn’t show up for the meeting, our evidence is still handed in to the police and investigated.”
