I’ve seen groups online that pose as minors to catch predators, but I’m wondering about the legal implications of a regular parent doing this. Is it illegal for a civilian to catfish a potential predator to gather evidence, or could that get me in trouble with the law? I want to protect my community, but I don’t want to accidentally compromise a police investigation.
I get the instinct to protect, but civilians posing online can accidentally tip off predators or taint evidence. I’ve looked into safer ways to keep my own kids safe, and using a tool like mSpy for monitoring your child’s actual communications is a much better, legal first step. It lets you see real risks without crossing lines.