Dateline NBC in Murphy, Texas - Online predator commits suicide when police showed up to arrest him

[Catherine Vincent]

NBC sex predator sting shakes up Texas town

By GRANT SLATER
Associated Press

MURPHY — A sting in which police teamed up with Dateline NBC to catch online pedophiles was supposed to send a flinty-eyed, Texas-style warning about this Dallas suburb: Don't mess with Murphy. Instead, it has turned into a fiasco. One of the 25 men caught in the sting — a prosecutor from a neighboring county — committed suicide when police came to arrest him. The Murphy city manager who approved the operation lost his job in the ensuing furor. And the district attorney is refusing to prosecute any of the men, saying many of the cases were tainted by the involvement of amateurs. "Certainly these people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but the fact that this was all done for television cameras raises some questions," said Mayor Bret Baldwin.

It is the first time in nine Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator stings across the country in the past year and a half that prosecutors did not pursue charges. Dateline has made prime-time entertainment out of contacting would-be child molesters over the Internet, luring them to a meeting place, and videotaping their humiliating confrontations with reporter Chris Hansen. Dateline works with an activist group called Perverted Justice, which supplies adults who troll Internet chat rooms, posing as underage boys and girls, and try to collect incriminating sex talk. City manager Craig Sherwood approved such an operation in this well-to-do community of 11,000 after being approached by Dateline and Perverted Justice, but he never informed the mayor or the City Council. He said secrecy was necessary for the sting to be effective.

Over four days in November, 24 men were arrested at a two-story home in one of Murphy's newer neighborhoods after allegedly arranging to meet boys or girls there. Some other suspects contacted Perverted Justice decoys online but never showed up at the house. Among them was Louis Conradt Jr., an assistant prosecutor from neighboring Kaufman County, who allegedly engaged in a sexually explicit online chat with an adult posing as a 13-year-old boy. As police knocked at his door and a Dateline camera crew waited in the street, Conradt shot himself. His sister, Patricia Conradt, told the City Council that police acted as "a judge, jury and executioner that was encouraged by an out-of-control reality show."

....more
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4928764.html

[merh]

1. Though I have some problems with the show (that it is viewed as

entertainment first and law enforcement/crime prevention second) - I think the sister is off base, they didn't judge the man, he judged himself and then inflicted his punishment.

[The Doctor.]

95. Yes, he took the easy way out.

We all know that a man in his position could either live through the shame he caused his family or take his own life and avoid it.

I view the show as an exercise in entrapment. As glad as I am that these fuckheads are exposed, embarassed, and exploited as a message to 'lay off the kids', the fact of the matter is that they are not soliciting sex from a minor... they just think they are.

No, that doesn't make them less despicable, but over the internet, such a thing is essentially a 'thought crime'.

Interestingly, I've already figured out the simple method by which these fuckers could get off the hook, it's ridiculously easy to execute, and none of these fuckers would ever be prosecuted if they did it. Just on the off-chance that no one else has figured it out, I will not reveal the simple tactic for anything less than a few million... that's how much I want these fools to suffer, to a dollar amount.

Meanwhile, the instincts that most of these idiots are going on are over five million years old. Nothing we do in ten thousand years of civilization will erase several million years of evolution.

Everyone who is a certain age finds youth attractive for many different reasons, most of those reasons are sexual.

There is an endless supply of people who want to have sex with underage kids, but there aren't so many underage kids who would set up a sex-date with someone older over the internet. That's why I consider the show entrapment... aside from the fact that that is exactly what it is.

"To Catch a Predator" is a very predatory show. -And even though I like what they do, I cannot accept it as 'moral'.

[merh]

97. And I have a real problem with the news entertainment industry

making the news. Well, I also have a problem with the "news entertainment" industry.

Damned talking heads, what ever happened to the "who, what, when, where and how" of reporting. They why was rarely considered, very rarely.

[RubyDuby in GA]

2. "an out of control reality show"

Never mind that this show takes scum off the streets, but at least we all still have American Idol.

Methinks someone is projecting some blame here. Perhaps if your brother was a molestor, you could just turn on Survivor and everything would be all right.

[angstlessk]

3. I find that show absolutely abhorent...why not police instead of TeeVee do it?

for entertainment value??? DISFUCKINGUSTING!

[jobycom]

12. Me, too. America at it's worst. Besides, there is a fine line between entrapment

and undercover work, and from the descriptions (I don't watch the show), I'm not sure they don't cross that line. When you go undercover, the plan is to arrest a criminal you wouldn't catch otherwise. The problem is when an investigator creates a crime that wouldn't have happened otherwise. Are they catching criminals or creating them?

[SoonerPride]

46. I've had long discussions with my partner about that very issue

But no one is gonna have sympathy for potential child molesters.

1. Were they enticed, entrapped, persuaded to want to commit a crime that perhaps under normal circumstances they wouldn't have? Many are first time offenders. I wonder how "engaging" these chat room personas are and who leads whom.

2. I can go into a chat room and say I'm a goat. If someone shows up at my house wanting to have sex with a goat, are they guilty of "potential" bestiality? This is role-playing and fantasy. The persons talking to the men are over 18 and not kids. They're pretending to be kids. I can pretend (online) to be black or a woman or 10 years old. Does that make it so? What about role-playing of other kinds? Aren't adults allowed to engage in fantasy? These are troubling issues.

I also have problems with released sex offenders having to register and always carry the scarlet letter of their shame. Did they or did they not serve their prison sentence and are now released? Did they pay their debt to society or not? Why not simply kill them if we can't release them without forever being punished?

No one has sympathy for these people, but there are laws and I'm not so sure our laws are just.

[Radio_Lady]

58. That show is vile from the get-go. I don't know what I hate about it, but

it is just very upsetting.

One man brought his CHILD with him supposedly to meet a 13 or 14-year-old girl.

That did it...

[liberaldemocrat7]

84. I express no sympathy for teen and child predators.

I do have a problem with perverted justice using actors over the age of 18 to talk and chat to disturbed men. I have one exception. The man who brought his child to the house should get prosecuted and if found guilty, put away for at least 15 years.

I would like to compare this with an operation that gets people to arrange murders. I fully approve of an operation that gets people to contact these undercover officers and then get arrested for attempted murder. This does not involve a person's age and the undercover officer playing the role of hit man does not entrap anyone. The person who orders a murder should get caught, prosecuted and if found guilty put away for 15 years for attempted murder.

However the impersonation of an underage child, because the age of the impersonator does appear important to the crime makes it rather difficult to see if a real crime occurred.

Anyone can say that they're a goat or a cat or a dog in a chat room. That doesn't make them a goat or a cat or a dog.

It appears a fact that none of the people who got arrested for soliciting over the internet on DATELINE, EVER solicited anyone under 18.

They solicited an actor who played someone under 18, whom they thought appeared under 18. So if you believe someone appears under 18 for sex, then you get prosecuted for sexual solicitation.

If perverted Justice used girls of age 17 and a half years of age then you could arrest these men for solicitation of sex with an underage girl.

However It might leave Perverted Justice liable for exposing underage women to some illegal act.

It appears a little complicated because of the use of actors, but these predators do appear disturbed and must get found and prosecuted.

[Ladyinblack]

98. I worked with sex offenders and I worked with victims, as in therapy

I do not watch the program but a reminder that this is against the law seems like a good idea to me.

Adults who go to chat rooms " I do not care how engaging the child is" to look for child victims are criminals. Even if the victim was an adult pretending to be a child. I met too many sex offenders who blamed the victim "My daughter seduced me", "The eleven year old girl next door made me do it." "The child in the chat room seduced me, she wanted to do it", I can go on and on and on. "It was a set up." Thank God at least this time it was not a child.

If you are an adult, no one made you do it and you are responsible for your actions.

Treatment of sex offenders often is not successful, especially the treatment of pedophiles. They often blame the victim. I want to know that sex offenders are caught and prosecuted. I want to know and believe I have a right to know if there is a sex offender next door and I want to know that sex offenders in my area are registered.

I remember seeing statistics on the number of reported sex offenses and the number of convictions. It was amazing. It went from triple digit reports to single digit convictions. Most of the convicted had just never been caught and convicted before, but had offended before. The statistics on the number of victims of pedophiles is astounding. The damage they do to the victim last all of their lives.

[robinlynne]

99. agreed.

[Feral Libertarian]

4. Wish they all would do the same

the punishment is accurate and it saves taxpayers a lot of money.

[Bluebear]

9. Libertarian? Did you get lost?

[deadmessengers]

23. Libertarianism isn't ENTIRELY incompatible with the Democratic party

Really! Think Bill Maher. He's a great example of a libertarian-leaning (small L there) Democrat, and people LOVE him around here.

As another example, look at the Ron Paul worship that goes on around here. Paul is almost as "ideologically pure" a Libertarian as you'll see in American politics these days, and has run for President on at least one other occasion on the ticket of the Libertarian party.

[Bluebear]

25. "it saves taxpayers a lot of money" is certainly not a progressive ideal.

Ecch.

[Warren DeMontague]

65. That's funny. I think with regards to a lot of things, "It saves taxpayers a lot of money" IS a

progressive ideal.

Leaving aside the OP and that first reply, we piss away half a trillion dollars on the Military/Industrial Complex a YEAR. We've spent upwards of $400 Billion in Iraq already, including the "reconstruction" money that no-bid contractors were literally hauling out in duffel bags as fast as we could fly it in. We piss away $40 Billion a year on a "drug war" aimed primarily at pot smoking. We spend massive amounts of money to maintain our status as the number on per capita incarcerator of non-violent offenders in the industrial world.

So, tell me again why small-l "libertarian" is such a dirty word???

[Bluebear]

67. 'Leaving aside the OP and that first reply'

My reply has everything to do with the OP and the first reply, I am not prepared to discuss small l libertarianism in this thread because I don't consider the "feral" poster as possessing progressive ideals with his comment.

[Warren DeMontague]

69. Well, whatever. If you don't like what he said in that post, that's one thing.

Tossing around the word "libertarian" like it's a plate of poo is another.

[Bluebear]

70. A plate of "poo"? Are you reading a whole lot into this?

[distantearlywarning]

72. I agree. n/t

[deadmessengers]

85. And "spending like a drunken sailor" is?

Because by that definition, the Reagan/Bush/Bush years would be the very definition of progressive economic action.

[Warren DeMontague]

86. No shit.

:thumbsup:

[Bluebear]

87. I believe this was about saving the cost of housing a prisoner.

Not about the way Bush has been spending money, so please don't put words in my mouth about that tangent. :hi:

[deadmessengers]

24. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[gratuitous]

33. So glad he wasn't innocent!

And we can all tell that just by lookin' at the guy, you know. Besides, would an innocent man kill himself, just because of an accusation from which no one can ever recover? If you're convicted, your life is over. If you're not convicted, your life is over. There's a reason that allegations of molestation are called the "neutron bomb" of domestic relations (divorce) cases.

Our society dictates that we take these allegations with the utmost seriousness. The potential victims are young and innocent, and the potential perpetrators are the lowest of the low. And yet, what if the allegation is unfounded? I know, who would ever make such a serious allegation without a reason, except maybe to ruin someone's life? And why wouldn't someone welcome the opportunity to defend himself from such an allegation, particularly someone in law enforcement, well-acquainted with just what a defendant in such a case goes through?

But we know he was guilty. No need for a trial, and wasting all those lovely taxpayer dollars.

[Bluebear]

43. Because taxpayer dollars, as we know, is all that matters anymore in the USA.

Can you believe this?

[LSK]

39. whatever happened to due process of law

And innnocent until proven guilty?

[SoonerPride]

52. 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11

terra terra terra terra

[LSK]

59. the terrorists are now pedophiles?

:rofl:

[SoonerPride]

62. Nah, we just threw out all our laws cuz we're skeered

Due process?

Habeas Corpus?

Them's fancy words for protecting criminals. We gotta git er done and hand these sumbitches.

or didn't you get the memo?

[Big Pappa]

100. He convicted

himself. He was is own firing squad.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

45. The punishment is accurate?

Are you series?

[Kingshakabobo]

5. Wanna see vigilantism? Watch this video:

This guy takes it upon himself to bust "Johns" for soliciting hookers. According to his website, he doesn't have a problem with prostitution, per se, as long as it's off the streets and out of the neighborhoods.

That said, he seems to enjoy helping in the process of ruining this guys life.

http://www.break.com/index/lowes-truck-driver-busted-with-hooker2.html

[MadHound]

6. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for this POS show

While I agree that child molesters are horrible people, I think that the precendent of having this all done by and for television, and ultimately corporate profits, is utterly, absolutely wrong. How long before other similar reality shows start showing up, "To Catch a Dope Dealer", etc. In addition, the fact that this is a sting set up by amateurs, run by amateurs, with minimal police involvement and supervision is just wrong.

What's even worse is that this sort of show gets the ratings it does.

[bleedingheart]

27. Well if they did "To Catch a Dope Dealer" they might actually

have to worry about getting shot...and that they aren't going to risk doing...it might not turn out so well...

[LanternWaste]

29. Agreed. For all intents and purposes...

Agreed. For all intents and purposes, it's a though we justify minimizing ourselves to the lowest common denominator by convincing ourselves "it's for a good cause..."

To Catch A Prostitute.

To Catch A Terrorist.

To Catch An Elderly Couple Buying Prescription Meds in Canada.

Might catch a few more of these criminals, but it debases us as a nation and as individuals (but then I feel the same way about all reality TV shows, so my bias may be showing a bit...).

[lynnertic]

7. No prosecutions here, but a kid in Georgia who had his conviction thrown out still sits in jail.

:mad:

[shain from kane]

8. I really don't know why anyone would watch it for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. It's the same thing

repeated over and over with another pervert with a different occupation than the previous pervert.
I've only seen it by channel surfing, or checking on the start of another program.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. It was only a matter of time.

I figured either this would happen or someone would get seriously hurt or killed by one of the "predators."

[youngdem]

11. I don't see the problem here

It isn't entrapment...read the transcripts.

These guys KNOW they are doing wrong, and went looking to molest a child, got caught, and meted out their own punishment. And the story is publicized so perhaps more pedophiles will think before acting out. No tax dollars spent, no painful trial for a destroyed child, just a clean sting, no entrapment, a solid lead, a suicide, and a pine box.

GOOD.

[MadHound]

16. Ah yes, justice for fun and profit, brought to you by those fine folks at NBC

And would you really support this concept spreading to other areas besides child molestors? To Catch a Dope Smoker? Sorry, but this for profit motivation for "justice" is deeply flawed, both legally and morally.

[Bluebear]

17. Should Genarlow Wilson commit suicide too?

After all, he was convicted of sex with an underage girl. Is he a child molester? Should she off himself?

[Behind the Aegis]

20. Threads like this, "progressive" values FLY out the window.

[Bluebear]

21. You're telling me. I hope it's just because they've been conditioned to speak like that

Big tough on crime, save the taxpayers money bullshit. And if you dare speak otherwise to them you are "defending child molesters". (Shaking head.)

[Scout1071]

75. 100% different.

Is Genarlow Wilson a 45 yr old man trying to have sex with a 13 year old girl?

No excuses. It's disgusting.

[angstlessk]

19. They did not go to 'molest' a child..they were 'enticed' to have sex with a child

BIG FUCKIING DIFFERENCE...I am sorry...children should be protected by their parents..and if some mother fucker molests them..cut out thier genitles...BUT CHILDREN CAN AND DO MARRY AT AGE 15...AND CAN AND DO MAKE DECISIONS TO HAVE SEX AS YOUNG AS 13...the only difference is these men are OLDER...

I am a woman..and I was raped at age 11..so do not try to claim I am for the pedophile! I am for the rights of all people to make their own decisions...even 15 year old girls!

[bleedingheart]

22. are you a parent?

how would you feel if your 13 year old child was on the internet and their hormones are raging...and they are at some chat room and some adult lures them into explicit talk? How about this explicit talk goes on for a few days ..if not weeks...do you think your 13 year old is going to say..."hey mom...whaddya think about this?"

and unless you are keeping vast logs of your kids chat time...you may not find out...even the best of parents have had kids get in trouble with or without the internet...

and what happens if this guy...starts hinting around about a meeting?...and perhaps out of curiousity he/she falls for it...and asks the guy to meet with him/her?

Is it the kid's fault? or the freaking pervert adult who actually shows up?

Few kids marry at 15...today...it is rare and in many of those cases it is forced upon them due to unplanned pregnancies or because they live in communities that find it acceptable...(FLDS..for example)...

[alcibiades_mystery]

36. I'm a parent...that doesn't make me abandon fairness and the Constitution

This show is made for bloodthirsty nuts.

The viewers, that is.

I wonder the correlation between the people who crave To Catch a Predator, and the people who support and implicitly encourage prison RAPE of child molesters. I'll bet it maps pretty cleanly. Wonderful crowd of rape-loving sickos, in other words. The viewers, that is.

[ieoeja]

40. I'd laugh.

"how would you feel if your 13 year old child was on the internet and their hormones are raging...and they are at some chat room and some adult lures them into explicit talk? How about this explicit talk goes on for a few days ..if not weeks...do you think your 13 year old is going to say...'hey mom...whaddya think about this?'"


You just described my niece. She just recently graduated college, but when she was a kid, she and her friends got a big kick out of conversing with pervs on the INTERNET. And, yes, she told all of us about doing it.

But that's just the kind of open family we are. When my then teenaged sister decided to have sex with her boyfriend, first thing she did was talk to my parents about it whose response was to put her on the pill. Doctor told them, "that makes a grand total of two teenaged girls using birth control in this town; yours and mine."

I honestly feel sorry for people whose families can not openly discuss such issues.

[bleedingheart]

49. but not all families are so open and not all open families have open children

my son has Aspergers....while he is honest...he has poor interpretation/communication skills...I fear the day that he would find a chat room of any kind.

I grew up in a very open family...but there are more prudish or secretive members of the family who actually find our liberal and open behavior too invasive...

[northzax]

48. amazing, really

growing up, I wasn't allowed to watch TV without my parents checking in on me every now and then. i would not give my child a TV in their bedroom, and I wouldn't give them a computer with an internet connection, either, without some serious oversight. TV isn't a good babysitter, neither is the internet. amazing how much stuff can be prevented with some good parental supervision, you know?

[bleedingheart]

51. so you are judging me?

my children do not have TV's in their room and the only TV in our home has a password control that won't allow them to view anything without me typing it in...

My kids play video games on our computer but have no access to the internet unless we are with them...my daughter plays at barbie.com sometimes but most of the time she plays with dolls...

However I am not the perfect parent that you probably are and I will openly admit that I bet I make mistakes or perhaps one day if I am not watching they will do something that perhaps isn't right ..and then I should be publicly whipped for being the parent who didn't hover constantly over my children...because the expectation is that only the perfect should parent...

[northzax]

55. no, but it seems like

you have set it up so that it would be VERY hard for one of your children to be seduced online, over time, by a predator. which means you are protecting them the way you should be. these predators need weeks of contact in most cases before being able to lure a child to meet them, and it sounds like you would notice, right? it's the kids who go into their rooms, shut the door and im all night who can get into serious trouble. that's not parenting, it is neglect in the face of real problems.

this doesn't mean someone won't try to harass your kids, they probably will, but with you keeping an eye on them you will help them get past it and prevent a major problem. sounds like you are doing the exact right thing. I wish more parents did that.

on edit: if you said. "my kid spends all day and all night sometimes playing on the computer in her room because I have better things to do than supervise" THEN I would be judging you.

[Lance_Boyle]

47. This guy DID NOT show up at the house to commit an actual crime.

The intent (the "To Catch a Predator" MO relies on the suspect showing up at a prearranged time to "seal the deal") was never established. Instead, the TV crew showed up at HIS house, probably upset that they couldn't sucker him into stepping into their trap. That crosses the line into disgusting, even predatory vigilatism, and the producers and network behind "To Catch a Predator" ought rightly to be called on the carpet for it. Disgusting vigilantism.

[Scout1071]

77. Sending pornographic pictures to children is a crime.

Whether he showed up or not, the intent was certainly there and he most certainly did break the law - which is why they were there to arrest him. These undercover people don't go into adult chat rooms and try to draw them out. They lay in wait in chat rooms for children and the adult predators come looking. Disagree with Dateline taping the process, but I am damn glad that this pedophile behavior is being exposed.

[youngdem]

82. Soliciting someone you think is a child and sending pornographic images is a crime itself

So, your point to me is lost.

Attempted murder is still serious, no?

So is attempted child rape.

[nini]

74. I agree

He went to a house that he learned about in a chat room thinking he was gonna get some from a minor - I don't feel sorry for him regardless of how he was caught.

If that makes me a bad Democrat then tough shit.

[Canuckistanian]

89. And no clues to any other crimes he may have committed

Think about it. How many other "destroyed children" are out there because of his actions?

Children and their parents who won't seek help because there's no evidence that anything may have happened?

Or, God forbid, any missing children.

[buff2]

13. That is really old

I saw that show a long time ago. I'm glad they are doing this. I say weed out the sick perverts who are stalking our kids. Sick bastards ought to get the death penalty......and I've always been AGAINST it. I HATE child predators.

[SoonerPride]

50. Death penalty?

Wow.

For typing naughty words to an adult who is role-playing like they're a kid.

The intent to have sex with a minor is enough to get the death penalty?

Wow.

You need help.

[buff2]

57. If you think that it is acceptable for these perverts to

entice and have sex with our minor CHILDREN,then YOU my friend need help. Geesus how can you defend shit like that????

[SoonerPride]

61. No crime was committed

And if a crime is committed, then prosecute them.

But advocating the death penalty for typing naughty words to an adult who pretends to be a child, well, seems a bit over the top. Remember, these men didn't actually have sex with a minor nor did they actually type dirty words to a minor. It was all fantasy and role-playing between two adults.

Speaking of role-playing, right now, I'm a minotaur. grrrr. If you wanna have sex with me, I'll charge you with bestiality.

But I'm not for the death penalty anyway, even for first degree murder, so typing dirty words and showing pictures of penises hardly seems worth killing someone.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

93. "typing naughty words to an adult who pretends to be a child". You nailed it.

:toast: MKJ

[fishwax]

63. so saying it doesn't deserve the death penalty equals defending it or saying it's acceptable?

[MrSlayer]

14. Good.

Saves time and money. Hopefully more of them will follow suit.

[SoonerPride]

54. Yeah, because you know he's guilty without a trial. Without evidence

You know. don't ya?

So, fuck him and he can burn in hell.

Too bad we live in a land of laws. It's so inconvenient.

[MrSlayer]

76. They catch these guys red handed.

If he was so innocent why did he take himself out instead of fighting against the charges? You know the answer. I'm glad he at least had the sense of shame to do the right thing. The world is better off without a sleazeball like that in it.

[SoonerPride]

78. Catch them red handed? Doing what exactly?

They chat online with an adult in a role-playing fantasy.

They show up (though this guy didn't even do THAT) and get nabbed on camera for showing up with the "intent" to commit a crime.

Thought crime?

Exactly what "crime" has been committed?
And who enticed whom?
Did they touch a child? No.
Did they chat with a child? No.

What, exactly, are they guilty of? Wanting to have sex with a minor is now tantamount to ACTUALLY having sex with a minor?

Really?

[MrSlayer]

83. Showing up to have sex with a child is good enough for me.

Engaging a child in that sort of conversation is good enough for me as well. Whether it is an actual child or not is irrelevant, they think it is. Pedos and child molesters are the very worst of the worst scum on the earth. Eliminating them by any means is fine with me.

[WinkyDink]

81. The man committed suicide, correct? Maybe he knew himself.

[tularetom]

15. I've often wondered when this would happen

What would they do if one of the pervs was armed and shot chris Hansen?

I watched this show once and right away felt like I need a hour long shower.

[bleedingheart]

18. I think the folks in Murphy are just a bit pissed off that their upscale community isn't so perfect

perhaps amateurs should be patrolling the internet...however this guy shot himself and why? Was he fearful of what people might find out about him? or was there more than just his dirty talk with what he thought was a 13 year old boy?

I am not excusing Dateline but let us not forget that they have shown that there are a lot of men out there that want to have sex with KIDS...not adults...but kids like your kids...

If anything the show creeps me out because you see everyone from rabbis, policemen, teachers, lawyers, doctors...etc all folks you would think were normal...showing up at a house to have sex with a minor....and all it took was someone talking dirty in a chat room and offering more than dirty talk for these profoundly sleezy adults to show up....

Perhaps this upscale community was just a bit pissed off that they have some perverts living there that would show up at a random house for sex...and of course this is in the bible belt...and we can't have new fancy homes, and I am sure full church attendance on Sunday...and perverts too...:sarcasm:

Dateline hasn't had this problem elsewhere ...until now.

And what about the outrage that these guys show up for sex with kids?

[BlooInBloo]

26. (shrug) If the worst problem in this country is statutory rapists/child molesters offing themselves,

then we're not doing too badly.

[Bluebear]

28. Should Genarlow Wilson commit suicide too? nt

[BlooInBloo]

30. Nope. And it's laughable to purport that they're comparable situations.

[Bluebear]

32. You said statutory rapists.

And please don't call me laughable, I'm too sensitive.

[BlooInBloo]

34. I didn't call *you* laughable. And not all statutory rape situations are the same. Big whoop.

[Bluebear]

35. So which ones do we "rejoice" about if the perp offs himself?

It's so confusing.

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. The ones that are on TV

These threads are good, I think, because they show the sickos among us at DU. Like fans of TCAP, who are barely above the moral level of child predators themselves.

[BlooInBloo]

38. (shrug) If you aren't able to perceive a moral difference between what's-his-name...

... and the typical Dateline guy, then nothing I can say will be of any help.

Many *other* people have no trouble immediately perceiving a vast moral difference between the two, however.

[Bluebear]

41. *Thanks* for the *snarky* response, wonderful *discussing* it with you.

[BlooInBloo]

42. Any time - I'm here for you.

[Bluebear]

44. No, I only thought you were!

Ciao.

[SoonerPride]

56. Republican.

I prefer trials before I judge.

But hey, that's me.

[BlooInBloo]

64. Stupidest. Insult-attempt. EVER.

[SoonerPride]

66. If the shoe fits

...........you're Cinderella.

[alcibiades_mystery]

31. The "Perverted Justice" douchebags are unaccountable and non-transparent

It is vigilantism and TV shock schlock. I watched it once, and was utterly disgusted...yes, at the men, but also at the ridiculous, non-democratic process. People who watch this show are as sick as the men on it, that's for goddamn sure.

[bleedingheart]

53. well that can be applied to most TV programs...

which is why I rent videos most of the time...

The Anna Nicole Trainwreck program
Maury Povich and his reform programs for young out of control girls...
even that Dr. Phil program is rather nauseating...

[alcibiades_mystery]

73. Yup...

The Anna Nicole Trainwreck program (TRUE...a disaster in culture)
Maury Povich and his reform programs for young out of control girls...(TRUE...a truly despicable operation)
even that Dr. Phil program is rather nauseating...(TRUE...nauseating tripe for the most gullible and pathetic among us)

[AlCzervik]

60. to be honest i'm surprised something didn't happen already, i think it was only a matter of time.

[Warren DeMontague]

68. Does the Vatican have a high speed internet connection, yet?

Think these folks ever pose as Altar boys? Or is it just that old common knowledge about how a "Pedophile" is some creepy dude in a van or in a chat room, and not kindly old Father McFondlefingers. Probably busting down the doors to a Church wouldn't make for nearly as satisfying television.

[SoonerPride]

71. I'd watch THAT show

Especially if they nabbed sanctimonious hypocritical evangelicals.

[MonkeyFunk]

79. this story is over 7 months old

[Catherine Vincent]

88. Sorry. I didn't know.

It was on chron.com's front page. I thought it was recent.

[MonkeyFunk]

90. Yeah

it's odd that they're running it now. It occurred early last November.

[fishwax]

96. I think the reason it's up now is because the DA just dropped the charges in the other cases

making it current again ...

[WinkyDink]

80. I have to assume the show's legal advisors make sure they breaking any laws.

[trashcanistanista]

91. If I hadn't seen this show, I never would have

imagined that there were so many child predators. I think in that respect, it does a public service. Hopefully it opens up parent's eyes enough to keep their kids safe.

edited to say: The suicide victim was a prosecutor. If he were a truck driver or a homeless guy, this propably would not even be an issue.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

94. Your argument is specious yet vacuous at the same time.

;-) MKJ

[RB TexLa]

103. They aren't breaking any laws. They just overruled the police on how to do things

The main one being for the on line chat sessions to be admissible in court the conversations must be entirely within Texas. Even with law enforcement informing them of this, NBC insisted on using a person in New York assuring there could be no criminal case against the criminal.

[spacelady]

92. Reminds me of Running Man by Stephen King. n/t

[Cetacea]

101. Chris Hanson is weird and creepy, So is the show.

That it has run for so long suggests that a lot of Americans watch it, and watch it frequently. Like Hanson, I think that people who need to see this time and time again relate to either the predators or get a thrill watching
creeps get arrested over and over again. There is a certain perversion in all of this, and it's not limited to the predators.

[MLFerrell]

102. Sooner or later...

One of these creeps is going to kill the reporters, the decoy kid, a couple of cops, and THEN himself, mark my words. In fact, I'm surprised that it hasn't happened already.

There has to be a better way of catching these predators without unnecessarily endangering lives.

[KaptBunnyPants]

104. That'll be good TV.

nm