Paedophile hunter group members in Leeds court today to face false imprisonment charges

Six defendants are expected to have their cases heard at Leeds Crown Court at 12.30pm at a plea and trial preparation hearing.

-> Also in court: Dangerous rapist put his hand up woman's skirt on escalator at Leeds railway station during rush hour

Those facing charges are Phillip Hoban, 44; Christine James-Roberts, 59, Jordan McDonald, 18, Kelly Meadows, 39; Jordan Plain, 25 and Dean Walls, 51.

The charges relate to alleged offences committed in Leeds and Wakefield.

Hoban, McDonald, Plain, Walls and Meadows are charged with false imprisonment by detaining a named male against his will in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, on January 13.

Hoban, McDonald, Plain and Walls are charged with assaulting the same male in Chapel Allerton on January 13.

Hoban, Meadows, Roberts and McDonald, face a charge of false imprisonment by detaining a named male against his will in Ackton near Pontefract on August 11 2018.

Hoban is charged with using threatening, abusive/insulting words of behaviour to cause distress to the same named male in Ackton on the same date.

Hoban, of Northcote Crescent, South Leeds; McDonald, of Tong Way, Leeds; Roberts of Queenswood Drive, Headingley; Meadows, of Raynell Drive, Leeds; Plain, of Tong Road, Leeds, and Walls, of Saxon Way, Moortown, Leeds, were all granted conditional bail when they appeared before Leeds Magistrates' Court last month.

No pleas to any of the charges have yet been entered by any of the defendants.

According to today's Crown court case listings, James-Roberts has been excused from attending the plea hearing.

Dozens of people, some wearing 'Predator Hunters,' Guardians of the Innocent' and 'Predator Exposure' sweatshirts, stood outside the courtroom at the previous magistrates hearing and cheered loudly as the four men and two women defendants walked in to face the charges.