Gardai concerned after group identify Galway man during 'child predator sting'
The activity by private groups is ‘cause of concern for An Garda Síochána and for other police services’
Gardai have warned that the actions of online groups targeting alleged child predators could impact and jeopardise garda investigations and possible criminal proceedings.
Last week, an incident in Galway saw a man targeted in one of the group’s “sting” operations.
A video of the interaction with the man at a location in the county was widely shared across various social media platforms and has been viewed over 200,000 times.
The video is over 21 minutes long where allegations are put to the man and footage appears to show examples of alleged activity being shown to him.
Techniques used by these predator catching groups include posing as minors in an attempt to ensnare possible offenders in the hope they arrange a meeting so the person can be confronted.
In a previous incident in Donegal in 2025, a garda spokesperson said that the activity by private groups is “cause of concern for An Garda Síochána and for other police services”.
The garda statement said: “The activity engaged in and the manner of confrontation between such groups and their targets has the potential for violence and could result in harm to persons present.
“There are concerns over the legality of the actions and the manner in which such groups operate, and how they interact with their chosen targets prior to and during the arranged meeting has the potential to affect future criminal proceedings.
“It is An Garda Síochána's role to investigate crime and enforce enacted legislation. Every citizen has a constitutional right to innocence until proven guilty and be subject to a human rights based criminal investigation.
“The safety of children, is a priority at all times for An Garda Síochána and An Garda Síochána use all lawful means to fully investigate and prosecute crimes which jeopardise the safety of a child.”