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[#HBC | Acrostic]

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[Fatmanonice]

I've never seen the show but I've read up on it a decent amount. It does seem to be more about entertainment than "justice." Considering how much money is spent on the show, I believe it would be much better for them to use those resources to find registered sexual offenders/those who have been diagnosed as mentally ill who have "fallen off the wagon" and people who are potentially dangerous instead of these guys who decided to spend a day away from /b/. I also agree with you when it comes to actually educating kids about these kinds of people instead assuming that kids just naturally know what to do in these situations. It's really easy to find programs that block potentially dangerous sites and most parents don't even bother even though you can find a good number of them for free.

 

[~automatic]

Education and prevention is the key, much like most things affecting society. Like Fatman said, the resources used on putting the show together could be used to prevent this type of thing from happening by going after actual people who are likely to go after kids and teens. Also, educating children about the sick people out on the internet would also make them aware of the danger signs of predators and scams and **** like that.

I've only seen the show once and it's not too entertaining so that's a problem imo even though the show doesn't aim to entertain.

 

[Sucumbio]

I read this last night but was too tired to comment. Anyway, I agree that Perverted Justice's tactics may seem unfair, but the fact of business is, it's illegal to solicit a minor for sex, anywhere, and especially online. The real question that Dateline fails at examining is WHY there's SO MANY dudes out there, all from normal walks of life as you yourself observed, that are so desperate to have sex with kids. The answer to this question is far more insidious than anything they'd wish to examine, methinks. In fact if anything, the television industry itself would be strongly implicated in the answer. Though it's inexcusable, and a terrible crime, you can't help but think that if sexuality were not so awkwardly approached here in America, if these people would still behave this way. They can't all be molested kids, or brain damaged, or what have you. Some of them really do have to be victims themselves of a greater threat to our culture.

Besides, it's good tv, I guess. I mean seriously, how thick do you have to be to fall for that ****? Its not like the show is unknown like it was when it first came out. You go to a chat room and some 13 yo is trying to get a date for sex, you better believe you'll end up on Dateline, lol. Sometimes I suspect these people do it just so they can be on TV. Also it should be noted that like in the show COPS, all parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the show makes no mention of the outcomes of these "predator's" trials.

 

[ndayday]

The methods are questionable but it does like Sucumbio said make good TV.

Best part is when the alleged predator tries to lie himself way out of the situation. "I-I-I must be at the wrong house *dashes out the door*"

Oh and also I like the issue of parents allowing kids the kind of freedom on the Internet. Not that they shouldn't be allowed to use it, but I think more needs to go into educating the **** kids about it.

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

Also it should be noted that like in the show COPS, all parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the show makes no mention of the outcomes of these "predator's" trials.

I'm not mocking you. I just didn't know that it was legal to cuff an innocent civilian and force him to an interrogation room. To me that sounds a lot like kidnapping. Also, at the end of the show, they summarize the results of the cases as statistics. Like 54 apprehended and 98% success in court trial or something like that.

Besides, it's good tv, I guess. I mean seriously, how thick do you have to be to fall for that ****? Its not like the show is unknown like it was when it first came out. You go to a chat room and some 13 yo is trying to get a date for sex, you better believe you'll end up on Dateline, lol.

Usually they keep in contact over a span of weeks to months.

Hey Succumbio you want to be friends? Hey Succumbio I noticed that you're really smart. Hey Succumbio, we really have a lot in common. Succumbio do you mind if we meet somewhere for a little date?

Granted it seems ridiculous when presented in a clustered paragraph format, but one of the main reasons why I used to join forum communities was the fact that I looked forward to developing a relationship with the community and finding specific users who I could relate to in particular. Shows like Dateline make tangible relationships much harder as people become more skeptical about the person behind the screen. Haha, perhaps I just have too much trust in the people I meet online.

Best part is when the alleged predator tries to lie himself way out of the situation. "I-I-I must be at the wrong house *dashes out the door*"

Oh and also I like the issue of parents allowing kids the kind of freedom on the Internet. Not that they shouldn't be allowed to use it, but I think more needs to go into educating the **** kids about it.

Some of the people who do get caught are honestly perverted to the extreme. While waiting in the kitchen, one guy started to jack off as Christopher Hansen walked in. Was that pretty sick? Yes. But that guy was under the impression that he was going to get consensual sex so I guess he was getting pretty excited. It just sucks that he was on national television.

Keep in mind that I never used a computer or the internet for leisure purposes until high school. Even when I started using it to waste some time, I mostly hung around gaming forum boards and professional school sites like toplawschools and studentdoctornetwork. As it became more of a hobby for me, I noticed that the immaturity began to increase and that there was an increasing influx of a younger userbase that was uninhibited, irrational, and naive to the extreme.

I'm not stating that children should not have computers. I'm stating that immature children should not have computers. Then again it is often times the immature children who often get what they want from their parents.

Education and prevention is the key, much like most things affecting society. Like Fatman said, the resources used on putting the show together could be used to prevent this type of thing from happening by going after actual people who are likely to go after kids and teens. Also, educating children about the sick people out on the internet would also make them aware of the danger signs of predators and scams and **** like that.

I apologize, but one word pops in my mind when I hear education and prevention in the same sentence: smoking. Tons of people know the health risks connected to smoking, yet they still continue because they are stressed, addicted to the nicotine, developed a habit, do it for social reasons, and several other factors. I don't want to victim smokers as the straw-man so other examples are drinking, proper diet, and even academic studying. We've been educated on drinking, told about getting our proper food groups, and know that we should study in order to get good grades for a better future. Yet we don't always follow through on the information that we are being fed. Most advice being offered to society is a promise for the long term, the future. But most people want to be happy in the present and they have a certain degree of guarantee that smoking, drinking, and partying will make them happy.

I apologize as this does not bear primary relevance with warning kids about online predators. Yet I do not believe the assertion that education is the primary cure for social ills.

I agree that more should be done to catch serial predators who have yet to be caught. I believe that in order to parents to properly teach their children how to recognize predators, it requires the child to have a deep amount of introspection in order to know who they are as a person and to distinguish the intentions of other people that vary from their own. It is one thing to tell a child that people on the internet could harm them. It is another thing for a child to accurately perceive someone across the internet with a hidden agenda and a different mindset that differs from their own innocent mode of thought. I do not believe that a simple education is sufficient in order for a child to recognize someone with ulterior motives. It requires a lot of life lessons and maturity.

Considering how much money is spent on the show, I believe it would be much better for them to use those resources to find registered sexual offenders/those who have been diagnosed as mentally ill who have "fallen off the wagon" and people who are potentially dangerous instead of these guys who decided to spend a day away from /b/.

All the Catholic sexual abuse scandals has left me with a deep seated skepticism in the pursuit of sex offenders. Granted I'm not stating that efforts are futile, it just seems that a huge pool of resources would be required to catch the most elusive predators and may require violation of privacy in order to catch such offenders in the act. In the end, catching a predator is a good deed done. But the methods employed and the justification used might be similar to the ones used in TCAP.

As far as catching the mentally ill such as serial killing sociopaths/psychopaths, I can imagine that would require even more intensive investigation. Another factor that comes into play is how one would go about acquitting someone who is mentally ill. I'd imagine that the insanity plea would come up a couple of times in course hearings.

Even though it is good to have a similar mission to TCAP and to achieve it using better methods, I'm not sure whether or not that would bring proper restitution to the victim. I think that funding would be better appropriated towards getting the victims back on their feet and providing them with a network of support.

You can't change what was done and you can't prevent it from happening again, but you can help those who have been wronged to get back up again.

I also agree with you when it comes to actually educating kids about these kinds of people instead assuming that kids just naturally know what to do in these situations. It's really easy to find programs that block potentially dangerous sites and most parents don't even bother even though you can find a good number of them for free.

I'm not sure restriction is the proper method. Especially when there are innumerable variants when it comes to IRC, social network boards, and other forms of cross-communication with compete strangers. I think that parents need to raise their kids, instead of holding strangers on the internet liable for the welfare of their son or daughter. I also think that parents should encourage an open relationship about what goes on in their young child's life, including what they read or see on the internet. Having discussions about it could facilitate growth depending on the type of material was discussed. In addition, it lets parents know of any possible threat the internet could pose. This is of course in a perfect world. :<

 

[Sucumbio]

I'm not mocking you. I just didn't know that it was legal to cuff an innocent civilian and force him to an interrogation room. To me that sounds a lot like kidnapping. Also, at the end of the show, they summarize the results of the cases as statistics. Like 54 apprehended and 98% success in court trial or something like that.

Absolutely well taken point. It's totally gestapo when its portrayed on TV and on that show. They "get away" with it because the proper formalities off screen have taken place, ie probable cause is established (the transcripts of the chat sessions), an arrest warrant is served, etc.

Usually they keep in contact over a span of weeks to months.

Hey Succumbio you want to be friends? Hey Succumbio I noticed that you're really smart. Hey Succumbio, we really have a lot in common. Succumbio do you mind if we meet somewhere for a little date?

Granted it seems ridiculous when presented in a clustered paragraph format, but one of the main reasons why I used to join forum communities was the fact that I looked forward to developing a relationship with the community and finding specific users who I could relate to in particular. Shows like Dateline make tangible relationships much harder as people become more skeptical about the person behind the screen. Haha, perhaps I just have too much trust in the people I meet online.

Perhaps, I mean I met my wife online, technically, but I did venture out to meet her "IRL" for a week before I decided to move to where she lived. Way back in the day we had little get togethers with people we chatted with over BBS services. And of course there's pay sites for online dating and such. The show's popularity is such that it really perpetuates itself, gives rise to itself, but there seems to be no staunching the flow of "predators" from showing up each week to get lectured on national television. One day we may find that they DID run out and had to start paying actors to fill the spots, lol.

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

Absolutely well taken point. It's totally gestapo when its portrayed on TV and on that show. They "get away" with it because the proper formalities off screen have taken place, ie probable cause is established (the transcripts of the chat sessions), an arrest warrant is served, etc.

Yeah. I really am interested in seeing a court case where IRC logs and vBulletin board posts are used as incriminating evidence against the defendant. I swear I would crap bricks if the lawyer was completely deadpan in his delivery to the judge.

On a more serious note, it really brings to mind the importance of accountability. A lot of people find the internet to be amusing due to the fact that you could theoretically pretend to be anyone, craft a new persona, or to say something to someone that you wouldn't normally say in real life. I think that this show really serves to represent an antithesis to our view of a relatively free, vigilante, and independent networking community. In one show, they went to the predator's house in order to arrest him. I really think that's going a little too far and is putting too much stock in online conversations.

To be honest, a part of me looks forward to having a community that has greater accountability for the comments and statements being made. Then again, I don't want people to post mature content because they are being guided by the rules or out of a fear that law enforcement could arrest them in their own homes. I want to meet people who act responsible because that's how they naturally are and aren't compelled by consequences.

I used to be a bit radical in how I viewed the internet in the past, especially when it came to free speech. I always thought that if you couldn't stand up for yourself on the internet, then where else will you stand up for your beliefs? You can imagine that this line of thought made the moderators groan. I've really mellowed out since then, but I still believe that internet interactions should be seen as a catalyst for real life dialogue and development. Forum boards especially make it incredibly convenient to piece together so many different thoughts into a coherent belief. The internet should not be restrictive or be riddled with policeman and advocates pretending to be thirteen year old girls. It really should be seen as enabling and offering a collective service to those who are interested in taking a small part.

Perhaps, I mean I met my wife online, technically, but I did venture out to meet her "IRL" for a week before I decided to move to where she lived. Way back in the day we had little get togethers with people we chatted with over BBS services. And of course there's pay sites for online dating and such. The show's popularity is such that it really perpetuates itself, gives rise to itself, but there seems to be no staunching the flow of "predators" from showing up each week to get lectured on national television.

I think it's great that you managed to find your wife online (as long as you're happy together.) I don't think that anyone should limit themselves to their local geography to find a companion that could make them happy for the rest of their life. Then again I'm not sure how much stock I would put into dating sites. If I wanted to go out with someone, I would like to find them myself. Then again, history has shown that my sense of judgment is horrible in choosing people to be a part of my life.

One day we may find that they DID run out and had to start paying actors to fill the spots, lol.

 

[Darkshadow7827]

While I don't know about the intricacies about the process of document, finding, or arresting a predator, I can see how the show is a hit. I don't particularly have a problem with Chris Hansen and others posing as underage women and baiting a sexual deviant. I don't really mind that deception is used, that any form or concept of trust is violated, or that there is no effort to find the underlying cause. This TV show reflects the American system in many ways, so I'm pretty much used to it by this point. Only difference is that Hansen is exploiting criminals for money.

You seem like a smart guy. You seem very honest and idealistic. Unfortunately the world isn't that way. Realistically, there are lots of dishonest immature people on the internet. To trust someone online is the same as trusting a stranger you meet in some common area. It's even worse when you have complete anonymity online. We gotta use discretion when talking. Hell, my relative had a stalker because she talked too much in chat room. Karaoke turned into harmless talk about jobs and general location. The guy used those 2 bits of info to find out landline (haha, who uses those?) , the job location, and the job locations number. Thank god that went away. As far as trust goes, it's a big risk until you meet face to face. To clarify, I'm not arguing against you, TC. I just wish the internet wasn't filled with morons that can't be trusted either. Haha, to be completely honest, I met with SWF member to participate in their weekly Smashfest. I met him at some location with a cell number. I remember thinking to myself, I hope this is a real number and that I didn't get super-trolled, haha. I took a risk and it worked out

As for deception, I don't mind cops pretending to be underage just to arrest people that physically meet up with them. It does seem inefficient and a waste of time though. You're not gonna stop child molestation by taking months to build trust and arrest them. However, I digress. The reason I don't mind is that cops do this in real life all the time. Undercover prostitutes, rigged cars, fake drug buyers, fake drug sellers, etc. Ultimately it comes to presenting an illegal situation and baiting a response. It takes 2 to tango. You can cyber, talk nasty, and say whatever to a underage girl online, but the moment you meet, it's solicitation. I understand your point if they don't mention sex though. Sex would have to be explicitly mentioned. I guess intent can be detrimental too. Intent to buy a controlled substance, solicitation of a prostitute. Online in my mind is the same thing.

As for not understanding the underlying reason why these deviants feel or act the way they do... Hmm. I can see why they choose to forgo that step. There could be a million reasons to do something, but what it ultimately boils down to is soliciting sex from a minor. I could murder someone, but I did it out of love. Doesn't change the fact that murder is murder. Also, finding a root cause is unfeasible. I see what you're saying though. Instead of focusing on one perv after another, Hansen should focus on some aspects of what leads to this behavior and, perhaps, how to prevent it in the new generation of children.

This show is just like the jail system. Put them behind bars and take minimal to no action to rehabilitate. Anyway, in case my tone didn't express it, I respect why you don't like this show. I agree with many of your points, but acknowledge that real life isn't so idealistic, especially the internet. MY main reason for not liking this show: depressing. Man, I don't wanna come home from school or take a break and watch a show about potential child molesters. It's because of shows like this, along with current social trends, that make all my friends want to have boys for a child. Just so depressing.

 

[Dekar173]

@Acrostic- The ONLY way you could possibly make a meaningful analogy between yourself using irc and sexual deviants doing the same, is if you're actively trying to find underage girls to have sex with.

It's not like these men are looking for 16-17 year olds, either, they're looking for undeveloped 13 year olds. They're looking for little girls who haven't even BEGUN high school.

These men drive sometimes 8-10 hours just to get to the little girl's house.



You finding people with similar interests to yourself isn't a very comparable scenario. Sure, you may want a relationship with someone, but are you trying to find someone your age, or someone 1/3 your age?

 

[Teran]

I honestly think that it's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen.

These guys are obviously the most amateurish sexual predators ever and really it's just hilarious to see them completely flop when trying to get some underage fun.

Also the male actor (who is like 18 btw ) is really hot, I don't blame the predators.

 

[Darkshadow7827]

I honestly think that it's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen.

These guys are obviously the most amateurish sexual predators ever and really it's just hilarious to see them completely flop when trying to get some underage fun.

Also the male actor (who is like 18 btw ) is really hot, I don't blame the predators.

I thought they use female actors who look underage but are 18+? Also, when you think about it, it's kinda weird. Those pedophiles must envy the person dating the actor because it's almost like the real thing - a look-a-like.

 

[§witch]

I honestly think that it's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen.

These guys are obviously the most amateurish sexual predators ever and really it's just hilarious to see them completely flop when trying to get some underage fun.

Also the male actor (who is like 18 btw ) is really hot, I don't blame the predators.

It's completely hilarious to watch.

"No nonononon NO. That's not why I'm here, I'm a frind of her Dad's, right sweetie?"

 

[Sucumbio]

Yeah. I really am interested in seeing a court case where IRC logs and vBulletin board posts are used as incriminating evidence against the defendant. I swear I would crap bricks if the lawyer was completely deadpan in his delivery to the judge.

lol! All monotone and stuff, "oh, oh, oh baby, oh." crazy. Course we don't even want to get started on the whole cyber-sex thing or this newer "sexting" ugh! ><

Its interesting but in point of fact chat logs and emails and other e-correspondence is actually admissible in court, but it has limitations in terms of what it can accomplish. It can be used for instance in a grand jury trial, it can be used to obtain warrants, and it can be used in the criminal prosecution, but if that's ALL you have, then you have no case, due to the fact that IP addresses can be faked, hell the whole thing could be fake.

I really think that's going a little too far and is putting too much stock in online conversations.

Oh yeah, totally too far, what would they have done if it'd been some 6 yo playing games? Uhhhh whoops! Yeah, lol.

To be honest, a part of me looks forward to having a community that has greater accountability for the comments and statements being made. Then again, I don't want people to post mature content because they are being guided by the rules or out of a fear that law enforcement could arrest them in their own homes. I want to meet people who act responsible because that's how they naturally are and aren't compelled by consequences.

I used to be a bit radical in how I viewed the internet in the past, especially when it came to free speech. I always thought that if you couldn't stand up for yourself on the internet, then where else will you stand up for your beliefs? You can imagine that this line of thought made the moderators groan. I've really mellowed out since then, but I still believe that internet interactions should be seen as a catalyst for real life dialogue and development. Forum boards especially make it incredibly convenient to piece together so many different thoughts into a coherent belief. The internet should not be restrictive or be riddled with policeman and advocates pretending to be thirteen year old girls. It really should be seen as enabling and offering a collective service to those who are interested in taking a small part.

Interesting. Does the phrase "In Real Life" irk you? It does me, I hate the fact that people consider online-based activity somehow.. fake? Or something... I dunno what they're thinking, but as far as I'm concerned the internet is as real as if I were having this conversation with someone in the park. Just because it's typed, and from a remote location, does not mean that the reactions on either side is any different! But this idea is also considered somewhat radical, as most people still cling to this idea that online life and real life are two different things.

and lol@Teran you should come to the US and troll the Perverted Justice League to get a date with. And yeah, normally its a chick but there's that dude too, cause not all the "predators" are male looking for 13 yo girls, some want 13 yo boys.

no female predators though. if a 20 yo chick trolls for a 13 yo boy, the boy is just LUCKY.

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

Realistically, there are lots of dishonest immature people on the internet. To trust someone online is the same as trusting a stranger you meet in some common area. It's even worse when you have complete anonymity online.

Even though I agree that there are a lot of douchebags that frequent the internet, there are a lot of people who are like that in real life. People naturally tend to tell a lot of lies or make excuses regardless of the time or the place. I'm not advocating that everyone online is a responsible and well-adjusted person. I'm just stating that I believe it's possible to find one or two people you can trust due to the fact that you genuinely might have a lot of things in common. Most of the time we judge people based on what clothes they were or how they look. Even though prejudices are justified to a certain extent, there may be a couple of stellar individuals that we write off due to our bigotry. In addition, there may be certain people across the world who we would never associate with on a normal basis. Yet thanks to the internet, they are right here for us to determine whether or not they interest, entertain, or bore us. Granted a lot of us may never be able to tell whether or not someone is a stranger or a friend, yet that doesn't stop us from sharing ideas and entertaining each other in mannerisms that express our individuality.

We gotta use discretion when talking. Hell, my relative had a stalker because she talked too much in chat room. Karaoke turned into harmless talk about jobs and general location. The guy used those 2 bits of info to find out landline (haha, who uses those?) , the job location, and the job locations number. Thank god that went away. As far as trust goes, it's a big risk until you meet face to face.

I don't believe that a face to face encounter really is an adequate representation of trust. I've seen plenty of people scam others with a perfect smile on their face. I can't account for other people, but I know that I use discretion when I type because I want to be taken on a serious level. I care about how I present myself because I want to make things work out. I'd like to believe that deep down there is a certain feeling inside you that tells you, "this guy is alright" or "this guy is full of crap."

I can't force you to trust me or to take my beliefs seriously. Yet I can do everything I can in order to be true to myself and justify my opinions with a certain degree of integrity. You are absolutely right that we have to use discretion when we talk about our lives, our dreams, or our aspirations. If we diverged every piece of personal information, then we are being disrespectful to ourselves, our friends, and the special people who we want to have a closer relationship with whether it be online or in real life.

PS: Sucks about the stalker.

To clarify, I'm not arguing against you, TC. I just wish the internet wasn't filled with morons that can't be trusted either. Haha, to be completely honest, I met with SWF member to participate in their weekly Smashfest. I met him at some location with a cell number. I remember thinking to myself, I hope this is a real number and that I didn't get super-trolled, haha. I took a risk and it worked out

I'm glad that it worked out for you. I don't think that it's an issue of trust, but more an issue of maturity. Being able to keep your promises and not leave someone stranded is a sign that the person has some moral backbone.

You can cyber, talk nasty, and say whatever to a underage girl online, but the moment you meet, it's solicitation. I understand your point if they don't mention sex though. Sex would have to be explicitly mentioned. I guess intent can be detrimental too. Intent to buy a controlled substance, solicitation of a prostitute. Online in my mind is the same thing.

In my blog I referenced the Louis Conradt case in which Dateline waited outside Conradt's house and waited for him to come out. When they noticed that he wasn't leaving, they made a tip to the police who ended up having a SWAT team charge straight into the house. Upon finding Conradt in his room, he stated, "I'm not going to hurt anyone" and then shot himself in the head with a handgun.

Is this the type of scenario that you would want to wind up in?

There is no doubt that Conradt committed a misdemeanor, but I don't believe that the man deserved to be harassed outside his own home and have it broken in by the police. Even though Conradt stopped communicating with the sting personnel on the other line, this only triggered Christopher Hansen and Perverted Justice to become even more aggressive in their attempts to capture him and bring him to jail.

I do not sympathize with perverts, but I do not believe that any American deserves to have their private property breached for their conduct on the internet. I honestly believe that Christopher Hansen, Perverted Justice, and law enforcement went over the line in order to arrest this man.

I agree with many of your points, but acknowledge that real life isn't so idealistic, especially the internet. MY main reason for not liking this show: depressing. Man, I don't wanna come home from school or take a break and watch a show about potential child molesters. It's because of shows like this, along with current social trends, that make all my friends want to have boys for a child. Just so depressing.

Real life isn't idealistic, but that doesn't mean that injustice should be ignored. If you simply ignore something appalling, rude, or over-the-top, then you're ignoring a part of who you are as a person and the ability to find out who you are deep down inside a society that is filling you with crap. In addition, if you can't state how you feel about something on the internet, then where else will you express yourself?

@Acrostic- The ONLY way you could possibly make a meaningful analogy between yourself using irc and sexual deviants doing the same, is if you're actively trying to find underage girls to have sex with. It's not like these men are looking for 16-17 year olds, either, they're looking for undeveloped 13 year olds. They're looking for little girls who haven't even BEGUN high school. These men drive sometimes 8-10 hours just to get to the little girl's house. You finding people with similar interests to yourself isn't a very comparable scenario. Sure, you may want a relationship with someone, but are you trying to find someone your age, or someone 1/3 your age?

I used to frequent a forum board that had a thirteen year old moderator. Granted, the forum board continues to have a terrible sense of judgment... in basically everything. Yet for all intents and purposes, she did not act like some flippant underage child. Even though I thought she was absolutely boring, there were some users who thought that she was an interesting person and had little get-togethers from time to time. Due to the anonymous nature of the internet, it is possible that someone you find romantically fascinating could be many years younger. If such feelings are mutual and under a mature context, then I don't understand why age should play such a limiting factor in exploring romantic relationships. I'm not on the market to find a partner in real life or on the internet, but I feel that I would be happy with someone who is able to inspire and interest me on a daily basis.

I honestly believe that stints like TCAP foreshadow a further justification in the eyes of the government for the violation of privacy when it comes to the internet. Even though there is a tendency to abstain ourselves from what we watch on television, there is no telling what type of manipulation, tactics, or social devices Perverted Justice uses in order to capture what the show brands as predatory perverts.

In my response to Dark Shadow, I referenced the Louis Conradt case. I'd like to bring particular attention to the mixed responses Christopher Hansen gives to Esquire magazine when they ran an investigation on the topic. The fact that there are no straight answers is unsettling and even disturbing. There are several perverts who get shown on To Catch a Predator. Yet what about the "predators" who don't get shown on television, but still have to settle court cases with Perverted Justice. Are all the cases really in black or white?

 

[Darkshadow7827]

In my blog I referenced the Louis Conradt case in which Dateline waited outside Conradt's house and waited for him to come out. When they noticed that he wasn't leaving, they made a tip to the police who ended up having a SWAT team charge straight into the house. Upon finding Conradt in his room, he stated, "I'm not going to hurt anyone" and then shot himself in the head with a handgun.

Is this the type of scenario that you would want to wind up in?

There is no doubt that Conradt committed a misdemeanor, but I don't believe that the man deserved to be harassed outside his own home and have it broken in by the police. Even though Conradt stopped communicating with the sting personnel on the other line, this only triggered Christopher Hansen and Perverted Justice to become even more aggressive in their attempts to capture him and bring him to jail.

I do not sympathize with perverts, but I do not believe that any American deserves to have their private property breached for their conduct on the internet. I honestly believe that Christopher Hansen, Perverted Justice, and law enforcement went over the line in order to arrest this man.

Yea, that definitely was too far. I dunno if it was my choice of words, but I agree that Dateline took it too far by going to the guys house. Sure he shouldn't have said those things to a minor, but he didn't act on it even if he wanted to. Going to his house and breaching their way in just to get him on TV and harass him is too much. I don't know all the details, but gathered from what you said - his suicide must be where South Park took the "joke" from. But yea, I totally get what you're saying.