The violent content that comes from these interactions is "popular in online circles that feature crude and hypermasculine material intended to cater to young men," the Times said. It has also been lucrative for hunters, who have gained hundreds of thousands of followers. With the "growth of internet platforms that claim to embrace free speech," the pedophile hunters have been "buoyed by the ability to publish their videos with few restrictions."

In some cases, the hunters have worked with local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the predators they targeted. But the violent groups are often less concerned about working within the criminal justice system. "We don't count arrests and catches," said Joshua Mundy, a co-founder of popular hunter group Dads Against Predators, in an Instagram post claiming that DAP had caused more suicides among its targets than any other group. "We count bodies."