These Two Mums Have Become Vigilante Paedophile Hunters

If there's one thing mums hate, it's paedophiles – which makes a lot of sense when you think about it. However, two particular mums have recently taken this universal hatred one step further, setting up their own vigilante paedophile hunting group.

The women – who give their names only as "Julie" and "Paula" – claim that their sting operations are highly sophisticated and well-planned, i.e. they pose as young girls on the internet and tell nonces to meet them in parks.

The mums are likely taking cues from the UK's most famous paedophile entrapper, Stinson Hunter, whose special talk in Birmingham we attended in April of this year. Stinson, who has called it a day on the paedophile hunting, doesn't think anyone but him should be engaging in the art of ensnaring paedos. A former policeman, who was on Good Morning Britain with the vigilante mums today, doesn't think anyone but the police should be at it – a sentiment shared by every single police officer asked about vigilantism whenever this stuff comes up in the news.

However, the anonymous mums feel they have the right to take matters into their own hands. One explained: "We set the operation up because we didn't feel the police were doing enough. We would put a historical picture up in a chat room and wait for these people to talk with us. Everything is left down to them; the ball's in their court. We wait for them to approach us with a meet. Several times we have handed over information to police and, in all fairness, there is no follow up."

Except, of course, in the case of Nathan Watson, a man who recently pleaded guilty to "attempting to sexually communicate with a child for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification", after the mums posed as an 11-year-old girl and arranged a meet. Watson will be sentenced at the end of this month.

More from VICE:

The Paedophile Hunter Who Killed an Innocent Man, and the New Breed of British Vigilantes

Why Do We Assume Paedophiles Look a Certain Way?

Realising You're a Paedophile Can Make You Want to Kill Yourself