Men 'falsely imprisoned by vigilante peadophile hunters', court told

Sam Miller and some other members of the Child Online Safety Team tracked down and detained internet users because they cared "about notoriety, about bullying others and about acting as pretend policemen", it is claimed.

Prosecutor Gavin Doig told Newcastle Crown Court the group's actions were unlawful in relation to three men who were detained, two of which then went on to face no criminal charges.

Mr Doig told jurors: "The case is not being brought on behalf of those men, we say a prosecution such as this is being brought on behalf of all of us, all of us in society are placed at risk by such vigilantes, who decide for themselves how to act, think they're above the law and get it wrong."

Sam Miller, 29, of Hutton Court, Anfield Plain, Stanley, County Durham, denies three charges of false imprisonment between February 2020 and June 2020.Iain McCutcheon, 35, of Roseberry Villas, Newfield, Chester-le-Street, County Durham and Craig Carter, 32, of Elm Street, Chester-le-Street, and James Moss, 58, of Laburnum Avenue, Blyth, Northumberland, all deny one charge of false imprisonment.

Mr Doig told jurors "amateur groups" have sprung up across the country and started hunting for internet offenders, without the proper technology or training the police have.

The groups pose as children online and set up sting operations to catch predators.

Mr Doig told jurors some groups are well intentioned, whereas others are less so, and added: "The prosecution case is the amateurs in this case cared as much, if not more, for self publicity, about notoriety, about bullying others,about acting as pretend policemen as they did about stopping online offending."

Mr Doig said Miller appeared to be the "self-appointed leader" of the Child Online Safety team and received a letter from North Yorkshire Police in April 2020, advising him to cease his activities as inviting potentialpeadophiles to public places created a risk, could hinder police investigations and result in him falling foul of the law himself, which he appeared to ignore.

He told the court: "This case is about people taking the law into their own hands, despite being asked, urged, by the police not to do so."

Mr Doig said on February 6 2020 Miller approached the police and told them an internet user, who he wrongly claimed was a convicted rapist, had communicated with a decoy profile he was running.

The court heard Miller told police the man had not committed an offence during the online conversation but went to his house that night regardless.

Mr Doig said: "At 9.15pm Mr Miller called the police and told them not only had he decided to detain the man, he had already done it. The defendant Moss was with Miller at that time.

"They didn't take time to call the police before they acted but made time to live stream the events on Facebook , so we can see some of what went on.

"The man said he was forced to the ground and held there and had a torch shone in his eyes while being questioned. Only after this process was Miller to call the police."

The court hard the man was interviewed by the police but it was determined he had not committed any crime.

Mr Doig said in May 2020 Miller went to the home area of a second man who had been speaking to a decoy profile he was running and showed locals a photograph of him to find out exactly where he lived.

Mr Doig said he did that instead of alerting the police "because there are no Facebook likes in handing evidence to the police".

The court heard Miller went to the man's house and added: "He detained him. He didn't let him go back inside his house. He kept him outside by threatening him, saying he would be assaulted. According to the man, he abuses him too."

Mr Doig said the man was interviewed by the police and there was some evidence against him but again, no charges were brought.

The court heard in June 2020 a third man was confronted by Miller, with McCutcheon and Carter, at his home.

Mr Doig told jurors: "The three defendants were, we say, aggressive and threatening.

"McCutcheon in particular was dressed in a way that could have led someone to believe he was a policeman. It was certainly a pretty unusual way to dress."

Mr Doig said the man was told he was "coming with them" before being grabbed and forced out of his house in an armlock.

The court heard the police were eventually called but Mr Doig told jurors: "You may ask yourself and it's a question I hope you will ask, once the defendants knew he was there, why not phone the police and let the police drag him out.

"However, we say calling the police won't get the group the likes on Facebook that live streaming their actions would.

"Perhaps that's why they behaved as they did, only calling the police once they've got their streaming footage."

The court heard the third man is now in prison because of online offences he committed.

Mr Doig said the defence case is likely to be that the four defendants all acted lawfully throughout.The trial continues.