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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
PROOF
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RCMP do not condone actions of vigilante group Man associated with Creep Catchers charged BY ERIN FAWCETT Express staff
After recent charges of a member of a vigilante group called Red Deer Creep Catchers, local RCMP are speaking out against their actions. One man associated with Red Deer Creep Catchers has been charged with criminal harassment and mischief as a result of the Lacombe Police Service entering into an investigation after learning an individual had been harassed online and in person. Police learned that over the past three months the victim in this case had been communicating with a person online via a social web site. After communicating for some time the victim attempted to block the suspect from communications however the suspect continued to access the victim’s network site. In November the suspect, under a false pretense, convinced the victim to meet in person at a location in Lacombe. The victim did attend the location where he was approached by a male wearing a hoodie who put a cellphone in his face and advised the victim he is being recorded and has been busted by Creep Catchers. Friends of the victim happened to pass by and see the encounter at which time the victim was able to leave and get in a vehicle with the friends. The video of the incident was later posted to the Red Deer Creep Catchers facebook page making false allegations against the victim. The posting has since been removed. The police investigation identified a suspect and charges of criminal harassment and mischief have been laid against 37-year-old Karl Young of Red Deer. Young has been released on conditions
STAYING WARM - Ashley Fagan was bundled up against the cold as she walked around downtown Red Deer on Monday morning. Temperatures in the City are expected to stay around -22C for the rest of the week. Zachary Cormier/Red Deer Express to have no contact with the victim and not to access or use any computer or cell phone except for a work purpose. Young is scheduled to appear in Red Deer Provincial Court on Dec. 9th. “In this case police believe the victim was targeted online and lured into a situation by a person or group using vigilante-type tactics without justification or facts to support their claims,” said Acting Chief of Police in Lacombe Lorne Blumhagen. Police are continuing their investigation to identify a second suspect who may have been involved or assisted the accused in this incident. “The RCMP do not condone the actions taken by Creep Catchers and other vigilante groups,” said Red Deer RCMP Insp. Heidi Wild. “Civilians don’t have the skills, training or resources to conduct investigations and/or gather evidence in a way that would hold
up in court. Creep Catchers tactics don’t follow the procedures and laws that would lead to successful prosecution. Some of their tactics are unlawful. “Police are trained to investigate cases of online sexual predators with skill and care, and we follow the laws when doing so. Those laws are important – they protect all of us from being destroyed by rumour or slander or having our lives turned upside down without sufficient proof.” She added this is not work that should be done by amateurs. “They could endanger themselves, they could lure or entrap someone without understanding what they’re doing, and they certainly don’t follow privacy legislation or due process. Whenever vigilantes act, there’s a strong possibility of someone getting hurt.” efawcett@reddeerexpress.com
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