NBC Dateline's To Catch a Predator

[Spiff]

I'm beginning to wonder if these guys are actually paid actors. Seriously, how could there be that many stupid pervs in any given city that never watch television?
(*U*)

 

[Boybutante]

A 31-year-old guy here in our small Georgia town was a featured perv.

 

[Gardenboy95]

I am against setting traps for people. There are many counties where they have the same kind of system set up trying to catch the bad guys. If a lady asks do you want a good time, and you think you might like to have some verbal fun with her. You better think again. You might be thinking of kidding, but after setting in jail over night, you will not do it again. That happen to one of my client friends.

 

[Apollo]

^well if we didnt set traps for people then they would continue to do it and that would be wrong. i am glad they are doing this. i dont know if you saw the latest one but this cop came to this little girls house with a trunk full of guns and a video tape. you can imagine what he was planning to do. now if this wasnt a set up you can imagine the story on the news and i am sure you would be saying "how sad"

 

[tx_doc]

Setting traps for men/women preying on juveniles and adolescents, I have no problem with.
Setting traps for consenting adults who may or may not want to have sex with each other is ridiculous in my opinion.

 

[1091MAC]

As far as I know, it's the men who make the initial contact not the other way. Setting up a time to have sex with someone over the internet, phone chat lines, etc. is ALWAYS risky. These guys are just way too horny and not thinking at all.

 

[man_crazy]

I don't watch it as much as I used to, but it's absolutely insane to think how many folks have been arrested for this. Especially the idiots who say to Chris Hanson, "yes, I've seen this show before." Glad to see these folks get caught for something like this though.

 

[Just_Believe18]

They are doing a good thing but I hate how they are sensationalizing pedophiles as a form of entertainment. It's just as twisted as the perpetrator.

 

[chas007]

As per the broadcast the vast majority of these predators pleads not guilty. I find that kinda strange, since they have the internet transcripts and photos.

 

[Joshua_me]

They are doing a good thing but I hate how they are sensationalizing pedophiles as a form of entertainment. It's just as twisted as the perpetrator.

Exactly.

It's an odd and dark side of human nature that some people enjoy watching what is in essence the exact same show every week.

Who's more perverted, here ? The televised ones or the folks that watch it ?

"Oh, Wilbur ! Look at those *disgusting* people ! I can't watch ! Disgraceful ! Let's be sure to tune in next week !"

*sheesh*

 

[Ohiospeedo]

However, I think that it serves a great service. I think that the men, who it is truly their first time, will realize the consequences of their actions and not chat up a teen online. I think that before this show, it almost seems liked a sense of lawlessness when it came to online chats. Yeah there were a few police stings, but no one real heard about thoses beyond a local level. If this show stops one man from hooking up with a teen, then it is worth it.

Also, on a side note, there was always a dumb stereotype attached to sexual predators/molestors - that they were homosexuals. I think that this show has proven that stereotype wrong.

 

[tHaTeViLmOnKeY]

The show is funny to me to see all those complete peverted idiots. My favorite part is always when the realize it's a set up and either A) stay and have a chat about being an obvious child molestor or B) try to make up some corny ass 'my car lights are on' excuse to leave like the guy from last week.

One guy walked in, saw Chris and turned right around all in one fell sweep. It was hilarious.

But I do love to see them get caught.

 

[Junebug]

I know that its serious, but I can't help but laugh when they get caught. Especially the ones that run and try to get away.

 

[StlKj]

Glad they're catching these guys, but not cool with it becoming entertainment for the masses, especially considering they show it at an early hour when kids could see it.

Anyone else wonder how long it will be before one of these guys brings a weapon or grabs something in the house when he realizes he's caught and kills someone from the tv crew?

 

[dr_beat]

I'm beginning to wonder if these guys are actually paid actors. Seriously, how could there be that many stupid pervs in any given city that never watch television?
(*U*)

They don't have time to watch tv cause they're always on the computer.

 

[Lostlover]

Exactly.

It's an odd and dark side of human nature that some people enjoy watching what is in essence the exact same show every week.

Who's more perverted, here ? The televised ones or the folks that watch it ?

"Oh, Wilbur ! Look at those *disgusting* people ! I can't watch ! Disgraceful ! Let's be sure to tune in next week !"

*sheesh*

The ones doing the kiddo thing are sick... not the viewers.

Come on, you're from Florida. The same place where that old man raped and then murdered that young girl.

If shows like these embarrass would be pedophiles... then good.

I AM ALL FOR DATELINE BUSTING PEDOPHILES.

 

[Xenrai]

I think the whole show is silly. It's like putting a bottle of whiskey under the nose of an alcoholic.
One thing I find incredibly twisted is when they're dealing with individuals that obviously have a conscious and are obviously conflicted. Instead of trying to build on that little ray of hope, all that these Dateline people are interested in doing is luring-in these men, punishing and humiliating them.

 

[StlKj]

I think the whole show is silly. It's like putting a bottle of whiskey under the nose of an alcoholic.
One thing I find incredibly twisted is when they're dealing with individuals that obviously have a conscious and are obviously conflicted. Instead of trying to build on that little ray of hope, all that these Dateline people are interested in doing is luring-in these men, punishing and humiliating them.

Andrew Vachs put it best on Oprah years ago--A sick person wants to have sex with a child--an evil one acts on those impulses.

These men might be sick and the show might be exploiting them for entertainment, but if you'll pardon the analogy, I'd rather they be caught reaching into the cookie jar than not catch them until they've already eaten the cookies.

 

[Joshua_me]

The ones doing the kiddo thing are sick... not the viewers.

Come on, you're from Florida. The same place where that old man raped and then murdered that young girl.

If shows like these embarrass would be pedophiles... then good.

Well certainly, Lostlover, pedophiles are indeed sick people, and I'm certainly all for anything that can help keep children away from them.

But.

My point comes from a corporate network and financial gain perspective.

Make no mistake, any show on any network exists for one reason and one reason only: To sell commercial time and to make money. Don't think that any network is out to save the world or make it a safer place, because they are not.

Profit is the bottom line.

This being said, my problem lies in how a show like this appeals to so many viewers. In the beginning, it aired only during 'sweeps' when networks set their fees for commercial time based on the ratings any given show receives.

That tells me that they knew they had a 'winner' on their hands and something that a lot of people would tune in to watch. Why, exactly ?
To help make their communities a safer place for kids ? I'd like to think so, but I fear it's more of a certain titillation that comes from watching people being busted for sex crimes. It's an odd sort of voyeurism if you ask me.

And, apparently it does little to stop any would-be Internet troller, since at least a few of the people have been busted more than once.

It's the same mentality as thinking that the cops busting a few street walkers is going to put an end to prostitution.

It's not, of course. But hey, it makes us feel good for a few minutes, and hey...it makes for *great* TV.