‘APPALLING’
Catfishing vigilante group posing as teens is in police’s sights
Vigilantes posing as underage teenagers online are luring men to meet-up spots in Tauranga before forcing them to strip naked and bashing them. The vigilantes, who are filming their attacks and posting footage online, say they are providing a community service.
But police say their actions are “appalling” and have launched an investigation after receiving a complaint.
The group targets gay men by posing as underage boys online and arranging to meet at night, then confronting them.
Videos posted online and seen by Sunlive show groups ganging up on individuals, verbally abusing them, calling them paedophiles and child sex predators, forcing them to strip naked and then beating them up.
“We believe that our New Zealand streets are filled with pedos,” said a group member who communicated with Sunlive anonymously.
“We decided to see if it was true by setting up a fake... account. Within the first hour we had somewhere around eight to 12 messages, all of which we responded to and told them we were 15 and some still wanted to meet up and do things to these kids I shall not say on here.
“We had enough and decided to take things into our own hands and began cleaning the streets.
“We met up with these pedos with the intention of scaring them out of doing it again plus posting it will get their true face out there and help people know who to look out for.”
The group member says he didn’t expect to get the attention they have got.
“We think this account has got the love it has because people feel the same.”
The group member says they want their kids to be safe, they want something done about paedophiles and they believe they are protecting the community.
“We believe that if it gets big enough New Zealand pedos will be scared to meet up with our tamariki.
“We are making this our mission simply because someone needs to. If we can catch nine pedos in four days, what’s that got to say?
“People need to be safe, and we don’t feel like the kids of New Zealand are, especially after this.”
He says they were inspired by seeing people doing the same in other countries.
One post claims to “expose” a man for seeking “naked cuddles” with a person who identified themselves as a 15-year-old male.
They organised to meet, and the man arrived to walk the boy back to the man’s place.
When he went to meet who he believed was a 15-year-old boy he was confronted by the group who followed, videoed, and chased him.
This group had been quickly gaining followers online, one account doubled its followers in two days, and comments from their posts suggested that their followers supported their actions.
Others have now been seen doing the same thing in Auckland and Christchurch, as shown on the Tauranga group’s online posts. ‘Horrified’
However, not everyone is supportive of what this group is doing.
“I’ve never seen this before and I’m horrified for various reasons,” says Tauranga LGBTI+ advocate Gordy Lockhart.
He is the founder of Youbeyou, a charity that advocates the concept of
diversity in society.
Lockhart discusses two issues that stick out to him: Underage people facing paedophilia and the group seeming to target gay men specifically.
“Hands down, if there is evidence at any time of somebody seeking underage individuals, that is completely inappropriate.”
He says there cannot be consent for engaging in sexual relationships with someone underage and any evidence of this illegal activity must go to police.
He said in one video a man in his 20s appears to believe he is coming to meet a 16-year-old, not a 15-year-old.
Lockhart says if this is the case the group is going from being vigilantes targeting paedophiles to “just being vicious”.
“That’s absolutely not acceptable. “It was a guy who was meeting a 16-year-old, somebody above the age of consent. They held the person against their will, they assaulted them, chased them down the street, threatened them with violence ...”
He also questioned why the group appeared to be “targeting only men”.
“That suggests there’s an element of homophobia to the whole thing.”
He says “a lot of gay men” meet people or date online.
“If there starts to be a fear about whether or not you may be trapped and beaten up, then what does that do to the LGBTQIA+ communities?
“And if [the group is] just targeting men who like younger guys, that’s appalling.
“The police need to shut this down.”
Support for group
Tauranga social media influencer Isaac Kilby says he supports the group and says he too has tried to shine a light on paedophilic behaviour in the city.
“We are just trying to make other people aware that these people, they do exist, and they live amongst us.”
Kilby says in his view the group has done “more than the police have ever done. The police are failing to monitor potential sexual predators.”
“These young men are going out and doing what essentially the police should be doing, which is catching predators.”
Isaac says he believes no one in New Zealand is taking the initiative to protect youth against these kinds of people.
“I’ve got kids, daughters and a fiance,” he says.
“I believe [the group] is doing God’s work. They’re doing things that police should be doing. They’re doing things that other people are too afraid to do. That’s what’s wrong with the world that we’re living in today.”
Police respond
“Police don’t condone any vigilantes, or people taking the law into their own hands,” says Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Flowerdew-brown of the Western Bay of Plenty CIB.
“I would encourage anyone who has any information around paedophilia or sexual offenders to contact police and let us deal with it through the courts.”
Flowerdew-brown explains that this way, the offenders would be held accountable in the justice system something not achieved by people taking the issue into their own hands.
The alleged offenders “need to be held accountable. They need a fair trial. That’s what our justice system is for.
“If they are convicted upon trial, then we can put measures in place like the child sex offender register and monitoring and things like that.”
In a statement to Sunlive, police say the people involved cannot know if “the people they are targeting are committing criminal offences, and put themselves at risk and members of the public at risk.
“Vigilante action such as this could also harm current and future police investigations targeting online offenders.
“Police would hate to see actions such as these hinder or prevent a prosecution against an ... offender.”
Under investigation
Tauranga Police say they are aware of the group and are investigating.
“We’ve received one complaint from a victim of theirs ... That is under investigation at the moment,” says Flowerdew-brown.
Police say if anyone has concerns about paedophilia and child sex abuse to contact police immediately.
Flowerdew-brown says police have multiple resources for dealing with alleged child sex abusers and paedophiles, and also work closely with Oranga Tamariki.
“We have our child abuse teams in every district, every area has a child protection team.”
“When we get reports of concern, they’re investigated.
“What I’ve seen from those videos is absolutely appalling. And those people who think they’re doing good are going to be investigated themselves and they will be charged.
“By just beating them up and leaving them in the community, that’s not helping anybody is it?
She says from the videos she’s seen there are a number of alleged serious assaults.
“Do not take it into your own hands because if you do commit any criminal offences, you will be investigated yourself.
“We’ve certainly got our eyes on this investigation, on this group.”
To copycat groups, Flowerdewbrown says “police do not condone [this], and it’s a criminal offence.”
“Once we establish who they are and where that’s coming from, they’ll be investigated and they will also be looking at charges.”
Catfishing and fake accounts
The group is creating fake accounts and catfishing - pretending to be someone else to lure someone into a relationship - their victims online.
Police advise if anyone is concerned that have been catfished to contact police, which could have offending pages and profiles “shut down”.
“We have the relationships and the authority to do that. So, I strongly recommend anyone contact us if they have any concerns around catfishing or fake profiles or anything like that.
“We take all complaints really seriously. If anyone has been a victim of this group, or has any information around what this group is trying to do, then please bring it to our attention.”
Anyone with concerns about potential offending is urged to contact police immediately.
“All complaints will be taken seriously and followed up as appropriate where there is evidence of criminal offending of this nature,” says a police spokesperson.
Where to get help
If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you are the victim of a child abuse or sexual abuse crime, you can contact:
● Kidshealth.org.nz Directory of resources on child abuse
● Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334; Text 4334; Email support@safetotalk.nz
If you are a male survivor of sexual abuse, contact:
● Male Survivors Aotearoa offers a range of confidential support at centres.
● Mosaic - Tiaki Tangata: 0800 94 22 94 (available 11am-8pm)
For confidential, free, all-ages support for people in the Rainbow community contact:
● Outline: 0800 OUTLINE (688 5463) from 6pm-9pm
Find a list of support services at taurangamoanapride.co.nz/support/
If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s sexual behaviour, please reach out for support:
● Safe Network: 09 377 9898
● Wellstop: 04 566 4745
● STOP: 03 353 0257 Alternatively, contact the police.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it’s not your fault.
"We are just trying to make other people aware that these people, they do exist, and they live amongst us." Isaac Kilby