Perverted Justice, an organization that tries to snare
pedophiles on the Web, has targeted a Hollister man, but seems to
have sabotaged any chance of a conviction
– or even an investigation.
Perverted Justice, an organization that tries to snare pedophiles on the Web, has targeted a Hollister man, but seems to have sabotaged any chance of a conviction – or even an investigation.
The group says it has proof that a local man sent sexually explicit messages and lewd photos of himself to one of their volunteers posing as a 13-year-old girl. The group posted chat logs between the man and a volunteer on its Web site. Then, volunteers who believe in the cause but are not official members of Perverted Justice, sent at least two flyers to the man’s neighbors. The flyers included the man’s picture and address along with an accusation that he is a pedophile. Understandably, that caused a stir in the neighborhood.
But what the group didn’t do is disturbing and casts doubt on its whole operation. Perverted Justice didn’t contact police with the information – they say they don’t want to burden overworked police departments. And volunteers, who have no qualms posting very specific information about the man, wouldn’t reveal their own names.
Not only that, but Hollister police say they aren’t investigating the man because the group blew an opportunity to set up a sting operation by going public on the Web. And the San Jose Police Department doesn’t work with the organization because it considers the group to be vigilantes.
“Their heart’s in the right place, but they have no business doing what they’re doing because there’s no way of checking to find out if the data is valid,” said San Jose Sgt. Nick Battaglia, who heads a task force dedicated to Internet crimes against children. “They don’t have the means to validate the allegations … that could ruin someone’s life and career.”
That’s disturbing. Perverted Justice not only blew the chance to catch a potential pedophile, they went accusing this person of heinous crime in an unverifiable way, according to police. If the man is innocent, as his lawyer claims, his reputation and livelihood are at risk.
The police should look into the evidence. But Perverted Justice should have gone through the proper channels to get this matter resolved.
The way they went about it leaves the accused man in a terrible position if he’s innocent, and it has hamstrung the police from doing anything to catch him if he is not.
This is vigilante justice that bypasses due process of law. It has no place in this community no matter how good the group’s intentions are.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or fax to 637-4104 or e-mail to [email protected]
