Surrey Creep Catchers president Ryan LaForge says his group has performed as many as seven 鈥渃itizens arrests鈥� in this city since it set up here in the summer of 2016, and many more 鈥渟tings.鈥�

LaForge鈥檚 organization aims to weed out 鈥減otential predators鈥� by posing as children online, arranging to meet adults who think they鈥檝e been communicating with a child, confronting them, filming them and then posting the videos on Facebook.

The group has since been peppered with defamation lawsuits, privacy commission desist orders, and assault charges against LaForge himself stemming from a 鈥渃itizens arrest鈥� earlier this year, which is expected to go to trial in June 2018. And, of course, continued criticism from the Surrey RCMP.

The list grows.

鈥淚 swear Facebook is messing with me,鈥� LaForge told the Now-Leader on Friday. He said he鈥檚 battling to keep his account up.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e restricting me. When we used to go live, people could share the live. Now, you can鈥檛 share live any more. When I first got my account back they wouldn鈥檛 let me go live, this account is not allowed to go live, then when I finally bitched I got my live back. Now 鈥� we used to get a thousand views just on our lives 鈥� where I鈥檓 lucky to get a hundred, because no one can share it any more.鈥�

LaForge also said a law firm that鈥檚 handling defamation cases, as people they catch are 鈥渙bviously鈥� told to go to the firm, has been telling him more cases are on the way, for stuff other chapters were allegedly involved in, not his.

Meantime, Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann said that just before 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 Surrey Mounties responded to a 鈥渃all for service鈥� in the 10300-block of 152nd Street in Guildford, connected to Creep Catchers activity. 鈥淎llegations of child luring were being made against a man,鈥� Schumann said. Investigators have reviewed 鈥渘ot only eye witness accounts but also video depicting some of the incident.

A man was arrested, he noted, but was released with no charges laid.

鈥淧olice are currently investigating the allegations and will conduct a thorough investigation,鈥� Schumann said. 鈥淎s the investigation is ongoing, police are not in a position to discuss identity of the parties or details of the allegations at this point.

鈥淎s we have said previously, the Surrey RCMP does not support, condone or recommend vigilantism,鈥� Schumann said. 鈥淰igilantism, no matter how well meaning, does not involve police and therefore is void of ongoing safety considerations. Vigilantism is a risk to the safety of all those involved including victims, or potential victims, the alleged suspects and-or the safety of those persons intent on broadcasting the suspected crime.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not helpful. Most times it kind of works against investigations,鈥� Schumann said.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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