To Catch a Predator III: Dateline's investigation into computer sex predators

MSNBC ^ | March 26, 2006 | Chris Hansen

[summer]

See my post #20.

[summer]

In fact, one guy who did the above, brought along a "friend." And the friend claimed he really had no idea what was about to go on and he had not been online nor brought anything. They did not arrest the friend.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

Altough I am not for vigilante nor uneven justice, I have to agree with skylark that it is certainly possible to judge clear intent based on the conversations and subsequent actions here. And, the while sawing off a shotgun is an illegal act, the act itself does not actually hurt anyone itself. Indeed, in the example you sighted, it would have made equal sense to arrest the person who asked to have the gun sawed-off. Intent to have a gun-sawed off would be a crime just like doing it, but of a slightly lesser degree.

As was stated in the article, just chatting is not a crime and one guy was even warned beforehand. That is like thinking about sawing off a gun. Once he got to the point that he had a hacksaw in his hand, it is only thankful that the gun turned out to be a reporter.

I think I am drawing my metaphor out too much, but you know what I mean.

[amigatec]

BTTT for later reply

[summer]

Also, some of the sexually explicit online chat concerned the predator's intent to photograph or videotape the upcoming sex acts with the child/decoy. So, guess what they guys brought along? A videocamera.

[Waryone]

There is a tremendous difference between sawing off an shotgun and molesting a child. But even in the situation you mentioned, the person caught in the sting had the opportunity to say no. He chose to say yes and paid for it. Whether you saw off a shotgun, put someone's gold bullion in your safe, or let him park that incriminating Ford behind your shed, you have a chance to think it over and say no.

These men who were picked up were not asked to do something wrong, they were the instigators, they were prowling to do wrong and willingly wanted to do so. They also wanted to do it to those least able to defend themselves. I'm sorry that the person you know was not wise enough to walk away. But his being naive is no reason to allow these hideous pederasts to do whatever they will with impunity.

[summer]

These men who were picked up were not asked to do something wrong, they were the instigators, they were prowling to do wrong and willingly wanted to do so. They also wanted to do it to those least able to defend themselves.

Yes, that's correct -- these men who were arrested had initiated these conversations with a child. Furthermore, the child/decoy had a photo of him/herself (12 years old) online for the chatter/predator to see. And, some of these men even admitted to having seen the previous Dateline shows about this matter! Or, they were already registered sex offenders! One guy had even been "stung" in a previous secxual predator sting by Dateline, and received a "warning" -- but here he is, again!

[summer]

Never forget: They're whores.

And, I can't agree with that. When you're helping t protect kids from perverts, and using the power of the media to do so, you're not being a "whore." You're doing something good.

[summer]

PS Look at how many criminals "America's Most Wanted" has helped bring to justice.

[summer]

FYI.

[68skylark]

I see that a lot of people are disagreeing with your comments -- I'm one of them. But let me take the other side of the argument also -- I can easily imagine a scenario where the perps are improperly entrapped. It all comes down to the exact details of the sting.

If reporters go to chat rooms posing as a child, and if the reporter is the one who initiates sexual banter and suggests a meeting for sex, then I think that would probably cross the line into entrapment.

In that case, in spite of the seriousness and disgusting nature of the crime, the accused should probably be released.

I'm just trying to say that in spite of the repellent nature of this behavior, we shouldn't throw out all due process rights for the accused. I hope this particular sting was done correctly -- I suspect it probably was.

[GladesGuru]

In an earlier era, parents watched their offspring lest the boys play cowboys and indians with daddy's hunting bow or his rifle.

After all, the yet to be developed sense of both reality and morality of children is why the parents have to supervise them.

FReepers may find it interesting to note that Mosaic Law considered that the Bar Mitzvah ceremony is primarily the acceptance of responsibility for one's own acts. Prior to celebrating the Bar Mitzvah, one is a child and the parent is responsible. Afterwards, one is responsible to both G*d and man for one's acts.

The prohibition against what the Old Testament called 'adultery' and/or 'fornication' would therefore include sex with those unable to assume responsibility for their sins.

Thus the parents of the child were able to punish the adult sinner because they parent had to account for the sins of their child. And there was also the matter of loss of virginity should the child be female.

All in all, a strong case can be made for allowing the parents of the child to punish the offender. That was once the usual way for "Chester the Molester" to be dealt with.

It worked well, did not require huge swarms of cops, prosecutors, court costs, and enormous costs for long incarceration in prison.

Quick, cheap, effective - sounds better than what we have now. Any FReepers care to comment?

[Galveston Grl]

Did you catch the perp who told the "girl virgin" that she could keep her virginity if she only did oral and anal sex with him? Who does that sound like? Public school perverts actually tell kids this kind of stuff. They encourage kids to engage in anal and oral sex to avoid pregnancy.

Elders talked about this when she was Surgeon General for the Clintonistas. When talking about reducing pregnancy among teens she suggested sex ed programs have to teach kids how to have sex in alternative ways. This is what she was talking about. Man...!

[Galveston Grl]

As I posted to you earlier, teachers in the gay straight alliance and in sex ed talk dirty to the kids. They also use sex surveys to introduce and numb kids to inappropriate prying from adults at school. It makes kids numb to the danger and to the inappropriateness of adults -strangers, essentially - getting involved in shaping and prying into their sexuality. It is so dangerous and wrong that we have let them disolve the taboos of adult/child sex. Also these teachers are of the non-judgemental sort - they claim it is "hateful" to judge any degree of adult sex tossed at them in images or in voice.

[SE Mom]

Actually- at the end of the show they answered some viewers e-mails- one of them addressed the entrapment issue.

Since these men all were searching for under 13 year-old children to have sex with- WITHOUT COERCION- they were hardly entrapped. It was very clear from the e-mails/chat records between the men and the person posing as the 13 yr-old they knew exactly what they were doing. The language was explicit. There could have been no doubt in the minds of these men why they were going to the house.

Not surprisingly- many of these men had records of sexual abuse.

[summer]

Also, the group that posed as decoys did not solicit sex meetings with these men. The men were the ones who solicited the meeting for sex, as evidenced by the chat transcripts. Here is info from the "Info for Police" on their link, which I posted earlier on this thread;

Hello there, and welcome to Perverted-Justice.com. We are a website of adult citizen-contributors who enter regional chat rooms as underage kids and, if solicited for sex by adults, work with police to prosecute and convict those adults

[summer]

BTW, the NYT also did an outstanding job investigating what goes on with these child sex-predators in this article, posted here on FR.

[Rakkasan1]

just imagine if they did a show about illegal immigration with hidden cameras at suspected businesses. (as if that'll ever happen)

[summer]

I was also amazed at the speed at which these predators steer the conversation to sex with a new child contact/decoy online. These men don't waste any time! They know exactly what they want, and they get right to it. I think Dateline said one particularly disgusting and very explicit sex chat took all of 8 minutes.

[Galveston Grl]

Thanks, summer.