Facebook page exposing Tinder 'pedophiles' shut down
A Facebook page set up to expose men grooming underage girls on the dating app Tinder has been shut down by police.
The page was started by group of young Melbourne vigilante trio, believed to be aged in their early twenties, who claim to have set up a fake profile of a 15-year-old girl called 'Imogen'.
Victorian Police have stopped the trio from publishing any further video. A spokeswoman said they were investigating both the group and the men exposed in the videos.
In a brief biography, the trio's alleged creation 'Imogen' revealed that she is in fact 15 and not 18 as the profile incorrectly states.
Yet despite this, 'Imogen' accrued more than 400 successful matches with men in their thirties, forties and fifties.
The creators claim 'Imogen' struck up online conversations with several men where she reiterated her true age.
While some 'did the right thing and unmatched her' others were not deterred.
When 'Imogen' posted a message that she was home alone, several men allegedly requested to meet her.
The group then covertly filmed subsequent encounters in a Melbourne Bayside home with two separate men, one aged 31 years old and the other 43.
In footage captured on a hidden camera, one of the men leans into kiss 'Imogen', who is played by a 21-year-old actress, before she pulls away.
One of the creators, who is posing as her brother, returns home and frightens the man away.
In a second encounter, 'Imogen' tells the man that she lied to create an account and that she is actually 15. He is 43 and asks whether she has been with 'guys my age before?' to which she replies: 'Yeah I'm used to it'.
In the video, the man is seen pulling 'Imogen' into an embrace before attempting to kiss her, but his advances are rejected.
The trio spoke to Fairfax and said they were inspired to act after noticing an 'alarming' amount of inappropriate content on Tinder, and how 'common' illegal acts are on the site.
"We want to highlight how easy it is for illegal behaviour to take place via mobile dating apps and how little consequences there is for the offenders. We don't think anyone realises just how common it is and how many people are getting away with it," they said.
A Melbourne-based cyber safety consultant Susan McLean has slammed the trap as 'dangerous' adding that the set up may not lead to convictions given the actions could be classed as entrapment.
It is illegal to secretly record people and then broadcast the material.
"The surveillance act, listening devices, they have recorded things without peoples' permissions," Ms McLean said. "It's fraught with danger."
Tinder was launched in August 2012 as a matchmaking mobile app and is believed to have more than 10 million active users.
'''''Police urge anyone with information regarding child exploitation activity to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
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