Stinson Hunter: Paedophile Hunter Kickstarter project reaches £14k after airing on Channel 4
The online vigilante attracted the support (and criticism) of many last night
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Your support makes all the difference.Channel 4's hard-hitting documentary The Paedophile Hunter divided UK viewers last night as Stinson Hunter's vigilante antics were shared with the nation.
Hunter lures and traps sexual predators by posing as underage children online. Any evidence he collects is filmed, passed on to the police and posted online, with many videos soon going viral.
Some people took to social media to express their view that catching criminals should be left to the police, with others concerned for the devastating impact that Hunter's revelations could have on men's lives.
Plenty more, however, were full of praise for the 32-year-old former drug addict's commitment to trapping paedophiles. "Thank god for people like you," wrote one Twitter user, while another described The Paedophile Hunter as "the best documentary in a very long time".
Shortly after the programme aired, Hunter launched a new project on crowdsourcing platform Kickstarter, asking supporters to pledge funds and help him continue his work.
Nearly £15,000 has already been raised, surpassing the goal of £10,000 in less than 12 hours.
"Throughout all this time we have not asked for a penny, we have always been at a loss, literally to the point where I am technically homeless," Hunter wrote on his official Facebook page.
"I want to carry on doing what I do and (colleague and best friend) Grime wants to still do what we feel we do best, so if you want to make a pledge that would be amazing."
Hunter's plans are "just concepts" at present, but involve a possible Stay Safe Online campaign to be shown in schools, youth clubs and on the web; his own documentary and maybe even a feature-length film.
"For the last 18 months, we have been relying on one camera," reads a statement on Hunter's Kickstarter page. "Our skills and talents are not able to flourish with the restraints that the lack of funding has placed on us, but with your financial backing you can set us free.
"It's time for a change, no more ignorance of the subjects that really hit home. This is an age of tolerance, when it should be time to expose the shocking truth of what’s happening right on your doorstep."
Rewards are on offer for those who pledge money to the project, including monthly email updates, wristbands, T-Shirts, Skype Q&A's and even the opportunity to have a company name tattooed visibly onto Hunter's leg.
"The potential for our creativity is endless, but it relies on you," the statement concludes.