February 14th 2018

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Media captionBBC News NI’s Kevin Magee tries to speak to Sharon Shanks

Some of the commanders of self-styled paedophile-hunting groups is working in Northern Ireland have been identified for the first time.

There are increasing concerns about the methodology used many of the groups use, and their lack of accountability.

The so-called paedophile-hunting groups target beings online who they believe are sex predators.

They confront them and broadcast the meeting live on the internet, then call the police.

Image caption George Keenan was approached for an interrogation by Kevin Magee in west Belfast

There have been more than 100 the incidence of this sort reported to police in Northern Ireland, but no one has been charged as a result and there have been no convictions.

‘On whose approval? ‘

Former major police officer and child protection expert, Jim Gamble, warned some of the tactics used by the groups are criminal.

“Anyone live stream these incidents is not just the justice of catching someone who represents a threat to children, they are about the self-publicity and the self-centred coming about themselves, much more than about representing children safer, ” he said.

All different groups keep their identities obscure.

BBC News NI approached two of the people involved in setting up the “hunting groups” in Northern Ireland requesting them to for the purposes of an interview.

Sharon Shanks, from south Belfast, is behind the group announced Justice Reborn Northern Ireland and she uses the alias Chelsea Lewis.

Image caption Sharon Shanks was driven away after refusing to speak to BBC News NI

Refused to answer questions

Ms Shanks declined to do an interview saying in an online meaning that she was sad “journalists and report depots have so far called the hunting groups vigilantes”.

“Our identity we continue to ourselves so assembling isn’t an option, ” she said.

During one confrontation that she posted live online, Ms Shanks is overheard expending precise offensive language and threats of violence against a boy who came in all the regions of the scene.

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Media captionBBC News NI’s Kevin Magee tries to speak to self-styled paedophile hunter George Keenan

When approached by the BBC just after she had broadcast other live footage on Facebook of herself interrogating a being she had alleged was a paedophile, Ms Shanks refused to answer our questions.

We wanted to ask about the methodology used her confidential group worked, and on whose approval she had been jailing people who she believed to be paedophiles.

She declined to answer any questions. Instead, Ms Shanks plucked on a scarf and was driven action at speed.

There are up to 10 different, self-appointed paedophile hunting groups currently operating in Northern Ireland.

Often they are in competition with each other, but sometimes they are unable join forces.

One of the individuals who introduced the concept of “paedophile hunting” to Northern Ireland is 34 year-old Belfast soul, George Keenan.

Public falling out

He uses the alias, James SJ O’Neill. He was linked to the working group announcing itself Silent Justice.

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Media captionBBC News NI Investigations Reporter Kevin Magee is confronted by self-styled paedophile hunters

One of his targets last-place August was a man in County Antrim.

Two days after he was confronted, the man took his working life.

His family said they wanted to maintain a self-respectful silence.

Mr Keenan recently had a public falling out with other paedophile hunting groupings of England and, in an profanity filled video, issued various threats of physical violence against them on Facebook.

Mr Keenan diminished a request for an interview exercising his own mention and identity.

‘Absolutely disgusting’

BBC News NI approached him in western Belfast to ask him on whose permission he was meeting parties he considers it to be paedophiles.

When asked if any of his actions resembled those of a vigilante, he responded: “Are you serious? Get out of my display, leave me alone. Stay away from anybody that I have previously worked with.

“You are persecuting people, I am not here to answer your questions. You are perfectly disgusting. Get out of my seat right now.”

Later the same day Mr Keenan produced a group of people to encounter BBC investigations reporter, Kevin Magee, in a coffee shop in Belfast.

Image caption BBC reporter Kevin Magee was filmed by George Keenan, who posted video of the discord online

Mr Keenan claimed he had been able to mobilise more than a dozen people from various paedophile hunting groups.

For a short time they blocked off Botanic Avenue and produced the occurrence online.

You can see Kevin Magee’s reporting under BBC Newsline at 18:30 GMT and there will be an extended look at police investigations on BBC News NI’s Facebook page at 19:00 GMT .

Eyewitness account:

A mother-of-two has told of her horror when her residence was erroneously surrounded by a group of masked paedophile hunters.

The self-appointed organization encircled the house in the Springfarm estate in Antrim in January, claiming a paedophile was living there.

But the group had made a mistake – they had picked the mistaken house.

The 34 -year-old woman, who queried not to be referred, said she was “absolutely terrified” when members of such gang approached her home.

Her 66 -year-old mother and two young children, aged seven and three, were in the house with her.

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Media captionSeamus Davis: “They called me a paedophile lover”

“A crowd of parties get out of cars and they started banging and kicking at my front opening, one of the status of women was rumbling, ” she said.

“They were all saying there was a paedophile in the members of this house, but there was no follower in the members of this house, exactly me, my minors and my mother.

“It was awful, it actually was shocking behaviour, we felt genuinely intimidated.

“One of “their childrens” was obstructing for the purposes of the bed and my mother was stunned and shaken afterwards. Now she doesn’t want to leave the house.”

The woman had only recently moved into the house.

‘Totally wrong’

Local neighbourhood watch co-ordinator Seamus Davis went to the house when he listened the commotion.

He said: “There were three or four vehicles full of beings. I said: ‘look you’re in the wrong place’ – and they called me a paedophile admirer.

“I told them I detest paedophiles as much as anybody else, but this mode you are doing is totally wrong – this is a job for the police.

“You are behaving like a cluster of vigilantes.”

Self-styled ‘paedophile hunters’ revealed

‘On whose approval? ‘

Refused to answer questions

Public falling out

‘Absolutely disgusting’

Eyewitness account:

‘Totally wrong’

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Self-styled ‘paedophile hunters’ revealed

‘Totally wrong’

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