A MAJORITY OF Irish people support the work of online paedophile hunters according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted on behalf of RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live by Amárach Research, suggests that 57% of those polled agree with the actions of such vigilante groups within the Republic of Ireland.
20% of respondents said they don’t support such work, and 23% said that they don’t know.
The poll question was put to 1,000 Irish adults, all aged 18 or over.
Such online groups have become increasingly prominent in recent months due to a number of stings that have been reported upon in national and international media.
Last December, RTÉ producer Kieran Creaven was intercepted at Leeds Airport in the UK by the vigilante group Predator Exposure which alleged it had used a fake Facebook account to draw his attention.
Creaven subsequently pleaded guilty to sex offences at Leeds Crown Court.
More recently, in Northern Ireland, a trio of self-proclaimed paedophile hunters were ordered by the courts to desist from such activity, after confronting a BBC journalist who had in turn sought to interview them about their actions.
Earlier this year, the PSNI warned that the actions of such groups ‘could have a detrimental impact on the criminal justice process’.
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