Creep Catcher vigilantes under fire over death of mentally ill woman in video

KatelynnArielMcKnight's life was turned upside down in April when a man showed up on her doorstep in Edmonton, pointed a camera phone in her face and accused her of trying to lure a 14-year-old girl online.

"Ican't believe that you would accuse meof this," she told him through gritted teeth, her hands shaking."I was sexually exploited when I wasa child."

She told him her phone had been stolen four days earlierand that she'd just been released from the hospital after asuicideattempt.

Five months later, on Sept. 7, McKnightdied. Her friends and family say she took her own life.She was 27.

Edmonton police say her death has been ruled non-criminalbut that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding it is ongoing.

• Justice as entertainment' means never having to say you're sorry

The man who tookthe video of McKnightis JohnDoep, president of theEdmonton chapter of Creep Catcher, a national network of self-styled pedophile hunters who pose as minors online in order to bait would-be sex offenders and share videos of theencounters online.

The McKnight video was one ofCreep Catcher's biggest hits, racking up millions of views across multiplewebsites and YouTube channels, with headlines like "Man Confronts A Dude Who Was Allegedly Trying To Hook Up With Him After Pretending To A Be 14-Year-Old Girl Online!" and "Creepy Child PredatorConfronted!"

McKnight, who used to be known as Joe Dunn, identifiedas female.

Reached for comment, CathyDunn, McKnight'smother, told CBC News:"I don't agree with the tactics of vigilante justice.It wasn't right in the old Wild West, and it's not right now."

Trouble in the Creep Catcherranks

The McKnightvideo has created riftswithin the Creep Catcher network, which has chapters spread across19 cities in six provinces.

Three former members told CBC News they quit the groupbecause of it.

"That video was a red flag for me as far as targeting people targeting people for fame," saidMira,who asked that her real namenot be used because she fears reprisal from Creep Catcher supporters.

"Ireally felt thatKatelynnwas an extremely vulnerable person mentally."

• 'A real danger and darkness' surrounds Creep Catchers, professor says

Mirabrought her concerns toDoep and Dawson Raymond, the group's president and founder, but says she was dismissed.

Another former member, who uses the online pseudonym Dylan Massett, said the video was not up to Creep Catcher standards because Doep went to McKnight's home instead of meeting in public.

"There's a reason that you have the meet in public, right? It shows that it's actually them, and they have come with intent," he said.

Mira shared screenshots with CBC News showing her and MassettaskingDoep to take the video down.

He responds:"I don't think you guys have any idea what it is to be a creep catcher."

Doep did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Dawson, when askedaboutMcKnight, replied: "The one that pulled the suicide?" He did not provide further comment.

• Need help?Here is list of suicide crisis centres in Canada

Christian Ruckus, a memberoftheLloyminster,Alta., chapter of Creep Catcher, told CBC News that he is a relative of McKnight's and hebelieves posting the video was the right thing to do.

"I still stand by the decision100 per cent," he said."The fact of the matter was there was a potential predator trying to lure a minor.And regardless of any state or being, that needed to be exposed."

Ruckussaid thevideo has since been removed from allCreep Catcher-affiliated sites "out of respect for the family" and that Creep Catcher hasasked other sites to do the same.

'Judge, jury, executioner'

Publicly shaming people without due process is dangerous,says Michael Seto,who researches pedophilia and sex offenders.

I worry about the unintended harm this public identification can have on vulnerable accused.- Michael Seto,Institute of Mental Health Research,University of Ottawa

"There is so much stigma and anger about sexual offending, and I worry about the unintended harm this public identification can have on vulnerable accused," said Seto, who is thedirector of the forensic research unit at University of Ottawa'sInstitute of Mental Health Research.

Members of vigilante groups have no training,accountability or resources at their disposal,says Staff Sgt. Stephen Camp of theAlbertaIntegrated Child Exploitation Unit, which includes investigators from the RCMP andmunicipal police forces.

• 'RCMP does not condone this activity,' say police to creep catchers
• Surrey RCMP officer arrested after Creep Catchers sting has court date
• Man in 'creep catcher' video says his reputation unfairly tarnished

"They publicly shame them, and they pretty well act as the judge, jury, executioner at that point, and they wash their hands of it and walk away," he said.

"Let's look at the vulnerable people that get caught up in Creep Catcher's methods.McKnight is an example. There's other examples out there."

'A human, with loved ones, with dreams'

R.L. Daikin started the Facebook group "Creep Catchers Harassing Mentally Ill and Disabled People" after her own daughter, who has bipolar disorder, appeared in one of the group's videos.

She said McKnight reached out to her onFacebook, and the two oftenchattedabout McKnight'smental health strugglesand thetime she spent livingon the streetand in group homes.

"It was so apparent that this woman was in desperate need of help," Daikin said.

She saysMcKnightwas harassed because of the video andoften talked about takingher own life.

"It's very painful to have somebody who might be dying right in front of you, and you can't do anything about it," Daikinsaid.

Still, there is a lot of support for Creep Catcher.

Dozens of people have taken to the Creep Catcher Facebookpage in the wakeof McKnight's death tovoicetheir support for the organization.

Some even sayMcKnightdeserved to die.

She may or may not have been trying to meet [someone]. Either way, she was a human.- VickyPenny, former Creep Catcherwebmaster

"Have you people no respect?" saidVickyPenny, who stepped down as Creep Catcher'swebmaster over theMcKnightvideo. "She may or may not have been trying to meet [someone]. Either way, she was a human, with loved ones, with dreams, feelings, life."

A memorial was held for McKnight on Oct. 1 in Spruce Grove, Alta., where her parents live.

"There were many comments from people about how she had been very caring and giving of people in her community," her mother said. "She will be sorely missed."