Leeds arrests spark 'paedophile hunters' warning

  • Published

Five people have been arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, sparking a police warning for so-called paedophile hunters not to confront suspected child abusers.

The three men and two women, from Leeds, were also arrested for assault and public order offences.

It comes after members of the public were allegedly detained in Wakefield on 11 August 2018 and in Leeds on 13 January, West Yorkshire Police said.

All five have been released on bail.

The force said it was concerned about the activities of "online child abuse activist groups and their exposure activity in confronting persons they have identified".

It added: "Protecting children from abuse is a top priority for West Yorkshire Police and we would encourage members of the public to report any concerns about illegal internet activity of potential child abusers to us so that we can deal with it.

"We urge members of such 'exposure' groups not to carry out this activity and instead to report suspected offences."

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request showed such evidence was used at least 150 times in 2017, compared to 20 in 2015.

But the National Police Chiefs Council had said the groups' tactics presented "significant risks".

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