PAEDOPHILE hunters who descended on Warrington to expose a sexual predator living in the town say they were spurred into action out of fear.
One of the founders of The Hunted One, who has asked not to be named to keep his identity a secret, welcomed the news that Otto Kungler, of Lockett Street, Latchford, was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
Jailed: Otto Kungler
The 34-year-old was snared following a sting operation by the group who were pretending to be a 12-year-old girl.
After two weeks of chatting via a dating site the group say they were quickly forced into action after discovering two children were living in the same house as the now convicted paedophile.
"With Otto there was no small talk, he just wanted to meet a 12-year-old girl," he said.
"We usually wait a month but we noticed he had two children living in the house.
"When we confronted Otto as soon as he saw the photograph of the child he thought he was talking to he snatched the photo and ran back into the house and out of the back garden.
"He dumped the evidence in the bin along with his two phones and tried to escape down the street."
The Hunted One has been in operation for around a year and the founding member has been involved in more than 30 stings with a 100 per cent conviction rate.
"We are not just catching first timers. We are catching people who are a serious threat to our communities," he said.
"With the police resources getting cut in half there is not enough time in the day for officers.
"It's not everyone's cup of tea speaking to these kind of people.
"Sometimes I am speaking to five or six people a night.
"It is hard work but we feel they are better talking to us than real children."
The Hunted One is currently in operation in England, Scotland and Wales with plans to expand into Ireland.
This is despite both founding members holding down full-time jobs while supporting their families.
He said: "We all work. I run a family business with a £20m turnover.
"I have children and I found I was reading in the news everyday about paedophilia.
"It's the one thing about having kids that scares me the most."
To read the sentencing of Kungler click here.
Evidence released by The Hunted One of conversations between Kungler and a person who he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.
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