Gardaí have launched an investigation after an online group carried out a confrontation with a man at a house near Bray, Co Wicklow, over allegations of online grooming.
The group describes itself as an online child protection team that carries out “paedophile hunting” operations.
Members livestreamed the confrontation to more than 1,000 viewers before uploading three separate clips online, in which they questioned the man about alleged conversations with three pre-teen girls.
An Garda Síochána has confirmed that it is aware of the incident, with no arrests made at this time.
Gardaí said investigations are ongoing and stressed that everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
They also raised concerns about private groups carrying out confrontations of this nature, warning that they have the potential to lead to violence and could impact future criminal proceedings.
In footage posted online by the group, the man is accused of communicating with a 12-year-old girl and describing her as a “beautiful lady”.
He is also alleged to have told her that he “helps boys and girls make videos to put on YouTube” and stages small “fashion shows”.
During the confrontation, a member of the group showed the man an app containing an image they said had been sent by the girl to an account they believed belonged to him.
The group then showed him an alleged reply from the account asking the girl to “try some different poses”, including getting on all fours and crawling towards the camera.
The message reportedly described this as a “normal model pose”.
Another alleged message subsequently asked the girl if she would “wear a bra and denim shorts”.
When challenged by a member of the group over what “respectable photographer” would request such images, the man replied that he was not a photographer.
“I didn’t think,” he is seen saying in the footage. “I thought to myself, why am I doing this? What’s wrong with me?”
The man also told the group that he is not a parent but understands “the harm” his alleged actions could have on children.
A second set of messages shown during the confrontation involved another girl, with the account believed to belong to the man allegedly seeking similar photographs.
The man also appeared to acknowledge asking a third girl to kiss the inside of her arm “to practice” and sending her a video of himself doing the same.
During the confrontation, he said he has nieces who are a similar age to the girls involved, but denied ever being alone with them.
When questioned about whether his nieces had ever stayed with him, he denied that they had.
The group also claimed that eight people had come forward with further allegations since the livestream began.
The man rejected the claim that he had contact with other children.
One member of the group then told him: “How did you think this was? You obviously have a sexual attraction to kids.”
“I deserve what I get. I am being honest,” the man is seen responding.
The confrontation ended with a member of the group asking the man how he would feel if the girls involved were his nieces.
He did not respond to the question.
Gardaí are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the allegations.
The allegations made in the videos have not been proven in court, and the man has not been arrested or charged in connection with the incident at this time.
The force has also reiterated its concerns about private individuals conducting their own investigations and confronting people they suspect of criminal activity.
Such incidents can carry risks of violence and may also have implications for any subsequent criminal investigation or prosecution.
