Blyth 'vigilante' hunter James Moss warned by judge that 'all sentencing options are on the table'

Sam Miller and James Moss's target was forced to the ground, had a light shone in his eyes, was accused of having sex chat with a child and publicly "berated and humiliated" during a 14-minute live stream video.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Miller and Moss were part of the paedophile hunter group Child Online Safety Team, whose videos can attract over 1,000 viewers, and wrongly believed the man they confronted that day was already a convicted rapist.

Prosecutor Gavin Doig said the live streaming of the "sting" showed the groups' motivation was "publicity and grandstanding, not the detection of offenders" and added: "The live streaming and telling him it was being viewed by a large number of people increased the impact and the trauma suffered."

The court heard after the group called the police to the scene the man was questioned and held in custody for 17 hours before he was released without charge.

He was left with suicidal thoughts, wore a scarf or mask in public, said his family were affected and called what happened to him "cyber bullying".

He told police: "Fair enough if I was convicted and jailed, but innocent until proven guilty? Not in their eyes, you are guilty full stop."

Moss, 58, of Laburnum Avenue, Blyth, and Miller, 29, of Hutton Court, Anfield Plain, Stanley, County Durham, were convicted of false imprisonment after a trial, where they insisted their activities were to protect the public.

The pair were due to be sentenced on Friday, but Judge Julie Clemitson adjourned the case until June 23.

The judge told the men: "All options are very much on the table."

Mr Doig told the court during the trial the group was more concerned about "Facebook likes" than upholding the law and tracked down and detained internet users because they cared "about notoriety, about bullying others and about acting as pretend policemen".

Mr Doig said some groups were well intentioned, whereas others were less so and added: "The prosecution case is the amateurs in this case cared as much, if not more, for self publicity, about notoriety, about bullying others, about acting as pretend policemen as they did about stopping online offending."

The court heard it was on February 6 2020 Miller approached the police and told them an internet user, who he wrongly claimed was a convicted rapist, had communicated with a decoy profile he was running.

Miller told police the man had not committed an offence during the online conversation, but went to his house that night regardless.

Mr Doig said: "At 9.15pm Mr Miller called the police and told them not only had he decided to detain the man, he had already done it. The defendant Moss was with Miller at that time.

"They didn't take time to call the police before they acted but made time to live stream the events on Facebook, so we can see some of what went on.

"The man said he was forced to the ground and held there and had a torch shone in his eyes while being questioned. Only after this process was Miller to call the police."

The court heard the man was interviewed by the police but it was determined he had not committed any crime.

Peter Eguae, representing Moss, told the court: "To act outside the protection of the law certainly was not his intention.

"He will not be a vigilante again. He has learned a sad, long and valuable lesson."

He added his client was described in his character references as a "gentle giant".