Analysis of Vigilantism in Canada: Creep Hunters and Pedophile Predators

The provided content discusses the issue of vigilantism in Canada, specifically with regards to the group 'Creep Hunters' who claim to be fighting against pedophilia. The article highlights that while their activities may seem noble, they are actually interfering with the work of police officers and creating a dangerous precedent for society. Furthermore, experts believe that these vigilante groups can create confusion and unfairness in the justice system. The content also mentions recent incidents where Creep Hunters have been involved in sting operations and naming/shaming sexual predators, but it is argued that this type of activity should be left to the professionals who are trained to handle such situations.

Introduction
Canada of late has been witnessing a series of incidents whereby an online vigilante community
– known as “Creep Hunters”, is active in nabbing pedophiles. These pedophiles apparently are
responsible for child pornography as they lure them through the internet and sexually assault
them. Which is why this vigilante group is aggressively pursuing to trap these online sexual
predators. While a section of the society has appreciated the efforts of such groups because
somehow these predators are finding it hard to carry out their child sexual abuses. However, it
has also sparked a debate whether these creep catchers should be given a free hand or should
their activities be curbed by bringing them inside the ambit of law ("Creep Catcher's hunt for
online predator’s sparks police warning", 2016). It is also being seen that these vigilante groups
are obstructing and interrupting the police in their work. So, the police thinks that this
confrontation and interference on the part of these creep hunters is not healthy for the society.
Creep Hunters and their Methodologies
Creep Hunters refers to a group of people who lure men online (also known as online predators)
- those who are desperate to have sex with under-age girls. These sexual predators, with the help
of internet, seek and exploit children by starting chats with them on websites. These children in
turn find the whole process exciting and think that they will be safe. But the creep hunters find
and expose such pedophiles. Not for too long, these creep hunters have videotaped a lot of men.
These men show up ostensibly for meeting girls which they expect to be under age only to find
themselves trapped by creep hunters.
Creep Catcher is an organization in Canada that is involved in anti-pedophile activism. This
organization is supported by 17 other branches across Canada, whose members’ modus operandi
is to carry out non-violent sting operations (Wood, 2016). They start their operations by posing
as children on dating sites inside chat rooms and convince the persons sitting at the other end that
they are what they pretend to be. Finally, they agree to meet those adults for sexual interactions.
Then they catch these child lurers on camera or video chats and offer a chance to make public
statements. These pedophiles are then reprimanded, ridiculed as well as loudly shamed. In some
cases they are booked under the law.
There have been instances when the creep hunters nabbed law enforcing officials as well. In a
sting operation conducted by the creep hunters in Kamloops, Canada, a Deputy Sheriff (Kevin
Johnston) was trapped with the same methodology. Later on, he was found to have violated the
law and charged with four child-sex related offences on account of an investigation after a
vigilante group claimed his involvement in sexual activity (Bogart, 2016). Johnston is now
facing charges at least on three counts related to the communication with a person who was
expected to be under age in order to facilitate sexual offence. These charges against Johnston
have surfaced just after a news was doing the rounds regarding a RCMP officer. He is facing
charges in a similar vigilante group sting in Surrey. Police have therefore issued a warning to
these vigilante groups such as Creep Catchers or Creep Hunters that they are doing more harm
than good.

Social Aspects of Vigilantism
The key question that arises here is should these vigilante group be allowed to do what they are
doing even if their activities are driven by a social cause. Some sociologists and psychologists
have also given their opinions on this matter. According to them people should not quickly
appreciate the efforts and activities of these creep hunters . In this respect, a sociologist Chris
Schneider, in is recent research report regarding policing and media, has said that the efforts of
such vigilante groups are severely undermining the justice system. Schneider goes on to say that
because of the lack of due process, people can go after these individuals as well as their family
members. This brings a feeling of retaliation in them, so this is where the real danger and
darkness lies that has no end.
The sociologist such as Chris Schneider has termed these activities as a risky endeavor or
misadventure on the part of creep hunters. He said that these vigilantes do not possess the level
of skills that police officers do (Nair, 2016). Police is always well equipped and highly
professional in investigating criminal activities. On the other hand, these unprofessional
vigilantes, Schneider said, can compromise evidence and put themselves in real danger. For an
instance, whenever the vigilantes share images and videos on online platform, it creates a hefty
wok for the police officers because they have to determine whether the evidence has been
tainted. Justice will be dispensed faster if the important evidences such as these could be directly
taken by the police. It will also ensure that the mob mentality of providing punishment without
due process will be curbed and so will reduce the risk of innocent people from being falsely
accused.
The police being well-resourced should step in and do the investigations notwithstanding the
public perception. They have expert personnel and well-designed system that can be used to nab
such offenders who carry out their sexual afflictions through internet while staying anonymous.
According to a study, because of the overestimation on the part of the public, the inflated
numbers sex offenders online has allowed the vigilante groups to emerge out of nowhere. It is no
to suggest that there are no sex offenders out there but they are not as much as the people think
of. The police officers are always seem reiterating that they were really concerned when people
try to bypass law enforcement and take matters into their own hands. The RCMP and other law
enforcement agencies have maintained that when it comes to catching perverts or sexual
offenders, they always face a problem as someone else treads on their turf, especially creep
hunters (Goodyear, 2016).
Another negative aspect of such vigilante justice is falsely fabricating the innocent people by
declaring him or her as a pedophile or sexual offender. The experts have warned that such a trend
could end in a disaster because in a recent incident a RCMP officer was wrongly accused on
social media of being a pedophile. So, in such situations saying sorry simply doesn’t cut it. The
professionals from different walks of life have also highlighted the pitfalls of online vigilantism
in the wake of recent incidents of arrests stemming from the investigations conducted by the self-
proclaimed citizen cops. Some of these vigilantes have been heard saying that they do not care

the due process of law. The presumption of innocence or the legalities associated with the
process of entrapment are really pale when they compare the feeling of excitement that comes by
denouncing a creep on social media.
The arrest and charging of Kamloops Sheriff has definitely emboldened the creep hunters.
However, by any means, the mistaken entrapment and false identification of an entirely innocent
RCMP officer cannot be justified by any yardstick. Moreover, the head of the group had issued
an apology by saying that their group was trying to do public service and got carried away. On
the other hand, the police always stay on their toes to avoid any such wrong arrests because
wrongful convictions always make headlines (Elliot, 2016). It is always said in the law corridors
that one miscarriage of justice brings the whole system into disrepute.
For quite some time, dozens of police officers have requested the groups like Creep Catchers and
Creep Hunters to stop their activities of catching pedophiles and allow the professional do that
for themselves. But their appeal, as it appears, seems to have fallen on the deaf ears as the police
cannot control the platforms in internet and the vulnerability of children. So, there is a need to
ensure the transparency in the justice system and to start publicizing the trials that are being
resulting from the investigations carried out by the police (Cheadle, 2013).
Furthermore, the police do feel responsible to perform their duties by absolutely recognizing the
need to chase down the individuals who are in the business of preying on children. But it is also
important to understand that there can be tremendous risk for the public if in case these vigilante
confrontations go wrong at any time. It is not that police is sleeping and doing nothing about this
menace of sexual predators but it is doing it in its own way within the scope of law. The police
task force has been operating since 2011 and there are multiple units were also being deployed
that include highly trained sex-crime investigators seeking to identify and prosecute the worst of
the worst sexual offenders. However, some police officers believe that they share a common goal
with these vigilantes indicating that there might be a change of attitudes on both the parts. Also,
in some cases the groups are looking to the possibilities of modifying their methodologies. Some
of them also believe that the repeat offenders should find counselling when they are confronted
with the group or the law.
Legal Implications of Vigilante Acts
According to the New Citizen’s Arrest Rules in Canada, the law has expanded the power of
Canadians to go ahead and nab the people who violate the laws ("New citizen's arrest rules to
come into effect", 2016). The Act has helped in streamlining self-defense provisions in which the
new legislation doesn’t require any person to catch a suspect red-handed. It however, allows the
law to take its effect by apprehending the suspect within a reasonable amount of time after
committing of a crime. The primary reason for this, as per the legislators, was that the current
legislation was too limited that strictly required a suspect to be caught red handed. Also, there
was a caveat: people need to be very careful in terms of citizen’s arrest because there are
inherent dangers involved in this. The arrest can only be considered legal if the police do not find
it feasible to catch the suspect themselves. Moreover, people need to behave reasonably in this
matter. This new law, also named as Lucky Moose Bill, tries to consolidate the self-defense

provisions that are spread throughout the Criminal Code. So, the legislators felt that it was
perfect time to reform those laws.
Now, as far as Creep Hunters or such vigilante groups are concerned, there are legal and
practical perspectives associated with them. Legally, the law of citizen’s arrest in Canada is set
out in the statute of Criminal Code of Canada along with the cases interpreting the code . So,
there are restrictions on this power as people are not conferred with the powers to arrest the
suspects as the police officers do.
In Canada, in the light of citizen’s arrest, two types of offences have been identified – Indictable
and Summary. The indictable offences are categorized as serious offences that attract grave
punishments such as frauds, burglary, sexual assault and murder. Summary offences, on the
other hand, are less serious and attract lesser severe punishments such as mischiefs, causing
disturbance and small scale thefts. So, the ordinary citizens are allowed to make arrest if the said
crime falls under the category of indictable offence.
Thus, when it comes to the cases of sexual assaults and pedophile acts on the part of certain
elements, citizens are allowed to arrest those people who they actually find committing these
crimes. Also one more exception is added to this right that they can assist the police officers. If
anyone sees the police chasing a suspect then it is quite but natural that he must have committed
a crime and the onlooker can help the police in detaining the criminal. Another aspect of
citizen’s arrest is the use of force by the people as they are only permitted to use a reasonable
force that is in line with the force required in resisting a criminal. The case law books are full of
people who have gotten into trouble because of using too much force, even when their intentions
were good (Cummings, 2016).
Canadian Criminal Law on Sexual Offences
Canadian Criminal Law is related to and addresses the acts of omissions that are deemed illegal
by the legislature. The guidelines have been laid down for Criminal Law offences that range
from crimes such as murder, assault, robbery, theft as well as driving under the influence the
alcohol over the prescribed legal limit. The criminal law has been enacted by the Federal
Parliament. So, the sexual offences committed against children under the age of 16 years clearly
fall under the indictable offences.
Therefore, where sexual offences are concerned, as per Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46),
the Section 150.1 lays down the guidelines as:
(1) When a person is accused under Sec 151 or 152 or subsection 153(1), 160(3) or 173(2) as
well as under section 271, 272 or 273, when complainant is under 16 years of age, then
no defense will be given even if the complainant consented to the activity ("Criminal
Code", n.d.).
(2) It talks about the exception to the above rule (1). When a person is charged under 151 or
152, subsection 173(2) or 271, when the complainant is 12 or 13 years of age, then a
defense will be given even when the complainant consented to the activity only and only
if-

a) The accused is less than two years older than the complainant; and
b) If the accused is not in a position of trust towards the complainant or whom the
complainant is not dependent upon.
According to Section 151 (Sexual interference) of Canadian Criminal Code, any person, with a
sexual intention, directly or indirectly, with a body part or with any object, touches any part of
the body of complainant who is under the age of 16 years –
(1) Will be termed guilty of an indictable offense and, therefore, will be liable to
imprisonment for a duration of not more than 14 years or a minimum term of one year
(Wells, 1990).
(2) Will be termed guilty of a summary offense and, therefore, will be liable to imprisonment
for a duration of not more than two years or a minimum imprisonment of 90 days.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 151; R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 1; 2005, c. 32, s. 3; 2008, c.
6, s. 54; 2012, c. 1, s. 11; 2015, c. 23, s. 2.
According to Section 152 of Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46), any person who, with sexual
intentions, gets involved in the activities of inviting, counselling or inciting a person under the
age of 16 years, directly or indirectly, with a body part or with any object, in order to touch the
body of the person who so invites, counsels or incites the person under the age of 16 years –
(1) Will be termed guilty of an indictable offense and, therefore, will be liable to
imprisonment for a duration of not more than 14 years or a minimum term of one year.
(2) Will be termed guilty of a summary offense and, therefore, will be liable to imprisonment
for a duration of not more than two years or a minimum imprisonment of 90 days.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 152; R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 1; 2005, c. 32, s. 3; 2008, c.
6, s. 54; 2012, c. 1, s. 12; 2015, c. 23, s. 3.
The Road Ahead
The Canadian Legislators and the lawmakers maintain that even if New Citizen’s Arrest Rules
have come into effect, it does not in any way condone vigilantism as some legal weapon in the
hands of some specific groups. The authorities said that vigilantism is not something that would
be ever encouraged in the country as nobody wants Canada to go down that road. Just as the
Creep Hunters, which is a nationwide online vigilante team of individuals who are effectively
using internet to weed out pedophiles, there could emerge other vigilantes who would be
working for different causes. So, as per some experts, lawyers and psychologists, by letting loose
such activities on the part of vigilantes like Creep Hunters, there is a possibility of a dangerous
precedence to be set in the society. So, in light of this, the lawmakers would have wanted to
discourage the vigilante behavior, the laws have the propensity to create confusion and
unfairness (Perkel, 2011).
However, when it comes to the sexual assaults being committed on the children, the people seem
to somehow appreciating and standing by the side of Creep Hunters and Creep Catchers.

Recently, a sex offender, Keith Constantin, was released from the prison but he was thrown out
of the town by some of the activists. He in turn was again convicted of sexually assaulting a
seven-year-old boy and a 45-year-old blind woman, and he was again nabbed by the police.
So, this incident clearly highlights that there is an obvious vacuum between police and high-risk
offender in the community. This space, as many people feel, is proper to be filled by some of the
grassroots activists who justify their activities by seeking to protect their families and
neighborhoods from sexual pedophiles and perverts.
Conclusion
The Creep Hunters working in Canada have conducted a series of exposes and sting operations
in order to nab the seemingly growing section of certain pedophiles. They have been using
internet and social media as a potent tool for naming and shaming such sexual predators. In some
cases, they even have helped the law enforcement officials to expose and arrest those who
themselves are the guardians of law, such as the Kamloops Deputy Sheriff. However, these
vigilantes are also being seen as a force that is interfering in the works and duties of police
officers. Many professionals and experts believe that such a free hand given to these activists
will set a dangerous precedence for the society at large. So, they need to be contained and be
brought under the ambit of law. Furthermore, all these activities should be left in the hands of the
professionals who are experts in the field of law enforcement.

References
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