Vigilante "paedophile hunter" marches man into NSW police station
A self-declared “paedophile hunter” has released video of himself marching a man to a NSW police station after a vigilante arrest.
The man who calls himself the "Coffs Coast Pedo Hunter" has been making a name for himself in recent months by ensnaring alleged child groomers in public traps and posting videos of his operations to YouTube.
In the latest video, he accuses a man of trying to meet a teenage girl at Taree.
The “Pedo Hunter” claims the man sent him lewd pictures, and requested the same in return, thinking he was speaking to a child.
“Do you always talk to little girls like this? This is a 14-year-old child, mate,” he asks.
“This is you? These are the pictures of your c**k you sent to the little girl knowing that she’s underage?”
His target responds saying: “I don’t know who you’re talking about”.
“We’re going to go for a walk up the street because you’re going to get arrested today,” the Coffs Coast Pedo Hunter then tells the man.
In the 10 minute video, the vigilante asks the man to confirm his involvement in the conversation.
The man suggested he was underage when he spoke to the 'girl'.
The video shows the pair walking to the Taree Police Station as the vigilante continues to interrogate the man.
When they arrived the man was escorted into the police station, where it's believed he was arrested.
Taree Police confirmed a man was arrested on September 29 and charged with using a carriage service to procure someone under 16 for sexual activity and using a carriage service to send indecent material to a person under 16.
He was bailed to appear in the Taree Local Court on December 20.
Fairfax Media reports the man filming the vigilante videos is unemployed father Cameron East, who has posted six clips of his sting operations.
He told the outlet he was “probably the only person on the dole that Australia likes”.
Police said Mr East’s efforts were not responsible for the arrests and could prove to be more of a hindrance than help.
Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command crime manager, Detective Inspector Darren Jameson told Fairfax much of the “Pedo Hunters” evidence was not admissible in court.
"Our focus in this command in relation to suspected paedophiles is about catching them and putting them before the courts,” he said.
“This type of vigilante behaviour ignores those rules of evidence so... it puts at strong risk the capability for us to obtain a prosecution or conviction in the future."
