Mary Graw Leary, professor and director of the Modern Prosecution Program at Catholic Law, was quoted by USA Today in an article detailing the rise of so-called predator catchers, civilian vigilantes who attempt to catch people who in their view are out to sexually abuse children. Pulling from her experience as a former prosecutor, Graw Leary opines on the lack of investigative training possessed by these vigilantes, how that can jeopardize cases, and the need for professional investigations.

USA Today
Date: June 15, 2024
By: Jeanine Santucci
“Predator catchers” Cover The USA, Livestreaming Their Brand of Vigilante Justice

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In some jurisdictions, a suspect's conduct is only illegal if they are talking to an actual child or law enforcement posing as a child – self-proclaimed “predator catchers” don't count.

Mary Graw Leary, a former prosecutor and a senior associate dean at the Catholic University law school, said legal statutes have elements that have to be proven in court, which citizens with no training may not know.

“Like all investigations, they have to be done very professionally and correctly, so there can be issues about preservation of evidence, there can be issues about potential entrapment,” she said.
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