The new vigilantism

By Sandy . . . It started with Chris Hanson and To Catch a Predator, a mainstream television

program where potential online sexual predators lured by a civilian sting operation were “busted” by police officers, often with tasers drawn and pointed and terrifyingly threatening. The police presence lent a legitimacy to what was in reality a vigilante scheme. The suicide of an assistant district attorney in Texas as the film crew and police officers approached where he had been lured ratcheted up existing criticisms of entrapment and heralded the demise of the show.

That was in 2008.

Isolated incidents of vigilantism against persons listed on sex offender registries started almost as soon as the registry was created and, over the years, resulted in clear criminal conduct of arson, violent assault, and murder against registrants. Those committing such acts, when apprehended, were charged and prosecuted.

Bit by bit, “acceptable” vigilantism evolved, acceptable in that large groups support vigilante language and activity against registrants occurring on social media platforms.

Tik-Tok is especially egregious. While company officials claim they are concerned about having “responsible” content, what is available is often far from responsible. A dangerous trend has developed where groups on Tik-Tok are emulating the premise of To Catch a Predator—absent the presence of law enforcement, of course, as these potentially dangerous, amateur endeavors are without even pretend-legitimacy.

A group of Assumption University students in Massachusetts took even that criminal behavior a step further. Possibly unable to find a victim willing to meet with a minor, possibly thinking this would be “more fun,” they created their own victim. They snared a young man, 18, on the legitimate dating app Tinder. Believing he would be having a first date, he was lured to the university and falsely accused of seeking an underage girl for sex. The vigilantes incited a larger mob against him, chased him down, and beat him ruthlessly, all the while recording the attack.

Law enforcement is taking this seriously, thankfully; the initiators of the scheme are facing criminal charges.

This is where we are now. Anti-registry activists such as the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws and its affiliates expect registrants to be targeted for various illegal activities. They are targeted for a variety of scams. They, as well as their family members, are targeted for many forms of vigilantism, some of which have ended in murder.

Now, it appears we must anticipate vigilantism in a totally fabricated situation. How many innocent individuals will be targeted, harmed, reputation destroyed, even murdered? Where will it stop? Will it stop?

It is so easy to blame today’s technology, but every age has brought with it an advancement over the previous one in the way of new technology—the telegraph, the telephone, television, the internet, computers, smart-phones, social media. Future ages will see technological advances not even imagined now. These may facilitate crime; they make it easier. But they are not to blame.

It is cruelty in human hearts that is to blame. It is the need to create a scapegoat, someone lower than ourselves so that we can feel superior. It is arrogance that causes us to assume the role of judge over others, and it is perversity that enables us to delight in exposing others’ weaknesses and faults.

It is a special type of cruelty that allows us to create guilt where there is none, and to do so for our amusement. Those who do this believe themselves to be clever and entertaining. They mistake the support of like-minded individuals as validation of their cleverness. But they are not clever. They are not entertaining.

They are only petty and vicious.

And unbelievably cruel.

Written by Sandy Rozek

Sandy, a NARSOL board member, is communications director for NARSOL, editor-in-chief of the Digest, and a writer for the Digest and the NARSOL website. Additionally, she participates in updating and managing the website and assisting with a variety of organizational tasks.