A MUSIC teacher from south Derry has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
The 24-year-old was arrested in the Dungannon area of Co Tyrone on December 29 after being identified by a self-styled ‘paedophile hunter’ group.
It is understood the man runs a private music academy and also offers tuition to primary and secondary schools.
It is believed he has recently been employed by several primary schools in the south Derry, Mid-Ulster and Antrim areas.
Last night police confirmed they arrested a man on Friday evening after information was received.
A spokesman said: “Police arrested a 24-year-old man in the Dungannon area on Friday 29 December on suspicion of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
“He has been released on bail pending further police enquiries.”
The Irish News understands that the man used the internet to arrange a meeting with a person he believed was a 14-year-old boy and sent sexually explicit photographs of himself.
The ‘boy’, however, was in fact an adult member of a ‘paedophile hunter’ group, Predator Catchers NI.
The board of governors at one of the schools where the man was employed said they were “aware of serious allegations” against an individual who had worked there for a “short period”.
In a statement it said “everyone working or volunteering in any capacity in the school is subject to Access NI enhanced disclosure checks and all safeguarding policies are adhered to”.
“These allegations are now subject to a police investigation and we do not wish to make any further comment that may prejudice the outcome of that investigation.”
As with similar groups, Predator Catchers NI uses adult decoys to pretend to be children in online chatrooms in order to lure potential predators.
Once evidence of grooming is gathered, members of the group confront the suspect before details are given to police.
In August one of the most prominent groups, Silent Justice, came to wider public attention after it carried out a sting at the home of a Co Antrim man it said had exchanged sexually explicit messages with a 14-year-old girl. The man was arrested at the scene and released without charge but later took his own life.
The incident generated debate about such groups’ tactics.
