WINNIPEG – They call themselves the “Winnipeg Creep Catchers“, and they say their mandate is to stop child predators.
It’s a group that started more than a year ago in Calgary and has gained notoriety over the past few months, spreading across Canada. Now it’s slowly making it’s way to Winnipeg.
The online vigilantes set up a profile on a dating website, pretending to be an underage boy or girl. They said they let the person who contacts them know right away they’re under 18. If the person continues the conversation, so do they.
“We don’t lure them with rude comments. They tell us what they want to do,” Winnipeg Creep Catcher, Ray Sting said.
They set up dates with the potential “creeps” in order to meet them in person, film the and then “out them online”, Sting said.
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“For the sake of the safety of people we get these faces out there so people know that person. That person I’ve seen them online and this and that and they take that extra precaution,” Sting said.
The three self-proclaimed justice seekers wish to remain anonymous, but go by the names of George Wilson, Ran Sting and Ivana Sting.
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Leading lives outside of creep catching, the three said they do this because they’re motivated to protect children, including their own.
While the motivation is to protect young people, the Winnipeg Police Service said they could be doing quite the opposite. Constable Rob Carver said people who take part in vigilante justice may be putting themselves at risk if they don’t know the person they’re meeting with.
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“If your motivation is to help us, we’re not being helped by this. As a matter of fact, we’re saying don’t do this,” Carver said.
“It interferes with our ability to do our job.”
The first creep catching group started in Calgary just over a year ago. Since then, the group has gained notoriety and continues to gain traction across Canada.
While the group remains controversial in the eyes of many, some supporting and some rejecting, the group said it has a goal to keep children safe and will continue to work hard at doing that.
Winnipeg Police have asked the group in Winnipeg, and all other chapters, take a step back and let those trained in this handle the potential child predators.
The Winnipeg Creep Catchers said they’ve lost faith in the police. However, they are open to providing police with any clues they encounter.
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