A JUDGE has ordered three paedophile hunters from the group Keeping Kids Safe, to appear before her and explain their behaviour when confronting pervert Nathan Kennedy.

Bolton Crown Court heard how the group filmed and live streamed on Facebook their encounter with Kennedy, who was jailed yesterday, despite being asked by police not to.

Sentencing him, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls stated: “I cannot leave this case without reference to my concerns about the group Keeping Kids Safe.

“One has real concerns about a group of this kind because there is neither control, restraint or supervision about how they conduct themselves nor how they collect evidence.

“It is, in this case, quite clear that they crossed the boundary and line between simple collection of evidence and incitement and that is evidenced by the way they encouraged this defendant to speak with a second ‘child’.”

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She added that she was concerned about the way the group members, Jamie Upton, Marcus William and Stephen Stockdale went to Kennedy’s home. “That attendance has absolutely nothing to do with the protection and welfare of children and actually causes considerable harm and, indeed, undermines the welfare and safety of children,” she said.

“There was absolutely no need for them to have live-streamed the confrontation and the only reason I can see for them to do that is to ensure as wide an audience as possible.

“One asks the question, for what purpose it that? Is it to incite and encourage others to attend the house, to create an atmosphere of fear, hostility and public disorder? That is a grave concern to this court.

“What that conduct demonstrates is, in reality, they have neither an understanding nor, I would say, an interest in the welfare of children.”

She added that the group was aware that Kennedy had a young girl, his daughter, in the house when they visited.

“Anyone with an iota of concern for young children would not have exposed her to the danger or experience of having a mob on her doorstep, which is what these individuals did.

“I am very concerned about those three gentlemen’s conduct and I would like arrangements for them to come to court to explain their conduct to me.”