Crime As Entertainment

[+ Lucky]

Does anyone think that NBC or its Dateline show cares so much about sexual predators as criminals as they do sexual predating as entertainment? They've made big bucks at a low overhead demonstrating how many guys go online in search of underage sex. But they would suffer a loss of ratings for sure if the crime actually stopped because their shows are so prolific on NBC and MSNBC.

 

Whatever one thinks about the crime or the criminals, human lives are at stake here. To set up these phony stings as an opportunity to ensnare people for tv entertainment strikes me as just as evil as the crime itself.

 

'DATELINE' SUED IN SEX-STING SUICIDE

By CYNTHIA R. FAGEN

July 18, 2007 -- THE sister of a veteran Texas prosecutor who blew his brains out as he was about to be busted in an underage-sex sting set up by "Dateline" is slapping NBC with a $100 million suit.

 

Louis "Bill" Conradt grabbed a gun and shot himself as he spotted cops, reporter Chris Hansen and a camera crew from the popular "To Catch a Predator" segment outside his home on Nov. 5, 2006, according to a notice of claim sent to NBC yesterday.

 

The suit will be filed Monday in Manhattan Federal Court on behalf of his estate, said Patricia Conradt's lawyer, Bruce Baron.

 

"NBC was responsible for his death. They conducted their sting operation and intentionally and with negligence sensationalized the situation," Baron said.

 

"It brought it to the point that he died of a self inflicted gun shot wound."

 

The 56-year-old prosecutor, a highly praised 20-year-law enforcement veteran, allegedly went online to solicit sex from a 13-year-old boy.

 

Hansen and a "Dateline" crew tagged along with cops to the prosecutor's home to capture the arrest.

 

 

NBC said if a suit is filed, "we will defend ourselves vigorously, as we believe the claims are completely without merit

[raulgmanzo]

Yes I agree there is something sick about these stings. Obviously I think it is wrong for one to solicit or engage in sex with a child or anyone who doesn't have the maturity or ability to intelligently, conscientously and legally consent to sexual involvement.

 

But I think it wrong for adults to pretend to be children to catch an alleged predator. Or for adults to allow or encourage a child to lure a potential predator.

 

The alleged predator sometimes says "I figured it was an 18 year old pretending to be 14". So how twisted when the prosecution has to say "Well it really wasn't an 18 year old pretending to be a 14 year old, but really was a 14 year old ... that the 50 year old officer was pretending to be".

 

And then doing it for entertainment of tv viewers? Wow that is sick.

[+ purplekow]

>

>The alleged predator sometimes says "I figured it was an 18

>year old pretending to be 14". So how twisted when the

>prosecution has to say "Well it really wasn't an 18 year old

>pretending to be a 14 year old, but really was a 14 year old

>... that the 50 year old officer was pretending to be".

>

>And then doing it for entertainment of tv viewers? Wow that is

>sick.

>

 

Entertainment issues aside, the first time an age is stated and it is less than 18, the man needs to say good-bye. Many people fantasize about things which are out of bounds or out of reach but one needs to realize that one puts oneself in legal jeopardy when having a conversation on the internet that one would be destroyed to have read in open court.

 

 

>

>

 

 

I have never seen a purplekow;

I never hope to see one;

I can tell you anyhow;

I'd rather see than be one

 

Help there is a purplekow in my mirror

[fedssocr1]

I have questioned these stings all along as well as they seem to be creating an alleged crime where none would otherwise exist. While I don't doubt there are plenty of adult men out there hoping to have sex with underage kids,I have a very hard time believing there are many underage kids out there inviting pervy old men to their homes to have sex with them. That should be the number one tip off to these guys that it's all a set up. But many of the guys that they end up catching have clear mental illness issues. Which are certainly not being addressed by plastering them all over national TV for entertainment of the masses.

 

I think these stings actually have a pretty terrible record with respect to how many people are really sent to jail as a result. Many of the cases have been thrown out for one reason or another including the cases in Texas where that DA killed himself as a result of the sting.

[+ deej]

I'd love to know where you got your numbers saying that "many" have been thrown out. According to numbers announced on NBC this morning, of ~300 arrests better than 200 have resulted in conviction and the rest are pending trial.

 

You lump the suicide in Texas into that, but that didn't result in an arrest so there was nothing to throw out. The deceased's sister is suing NBC for wrongful death, true enough, but I'm not so sure how that will go. NBC didn't go into a chat room and proposition an under-age kid, and THAT guilt is more likely the cause of the suicide.

 

I actually support them. Those decoys do not go into chat rooms and post "Anyone want sex?". They simply show up in chat rooms for kids and wait to be approached. All of this IS documented very clearly and carefully.

 

You cannot convince me that all 300 of those arrested never tried any of this before.

 

There's a very simple way to stay out of stings like this: Don't do the deed. But THREE YEARS after they started airing these, they still have no shortage of willing perverts.

[+ Lucky]

Well, of course one can support stings where necessary, deej, and this crime could easily be one of them.

 

But my point is that they shouldn't be used as entertainment. Are we looking to solve the problems or entertain the masses? When I see all that manpower being devoted by a police department to catch a suspect for Dateline in a situation where no child was actually harmed, I wonder about their priorities.

 

I know it doesn't seem like it anymore, but this country does afford the presumption of innocence. We've surrendered so many rights to appease the Patriot act that I don't think that law enforcement should be providing material for NBC. They should be at the airport, arresting people who don't take off their shoes!

[Guest EuropTravl]

>>Those decoys do not go into chat rooms and post "Anyone want sex?". They simply show >>up in chat rooms for kids and wait to be approached.

 

I have read that there are logs of chats where the "decoys" did indeed "pester" the targets to "come see me" over and over and "bring condoms!" to which one target wrote "bring WHAT?".

That being said, if I come across the show, it's impossible to tune away. I thought I did read that a judge in some district did indeed throw out every single case on one "sting".

 

Parody, but a very accurate one.

[+ deej]

> When I see all that manpower being devoted by a police department to

> catch a suspect for Dateline in a situation where no child was

> actually harmed, I wonder about their priorities.

 

So you'd rather wait until a child actually IS harmed.

 

Perverted Justice (who runs these things) would still be doing their stings and providing info to law enforcement but I'm betting they'd be doing it on a much smaller scale without NBC's bankroll, and they'd get absolutely NO media coverage -- IOW they'd be completely invisible.

 

If these shows get even a quarter of parents in the US to monitor their kids' internet use, it's a good thing. Sadly, I doubt it'll get that many of them. Everyone thinks "not MY kid" or "MY kid is a GOOD kid" or "we live in a GOOD neighborhood". The longevity of the broadcasts and the consistent action in all areas of the country, even after three years, increase their effectiveness in that regard.

[+ deej]

Got a link to a credible news source?

 

You know damned good and well the other networks would love to trumpet NBC's blunders. ;-)

[Guest EuropTravl]

>Got a link to a credible news source?

 

Well, here's the story. It's not a credible news source, it's MSNBC.

 

(It wasn't a judge, it was the district attorney who refused to prosecute any case)

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19486893/

[+ deej]

Thanks! Interesting link.

 

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.

 

16 were thrown out. OK, I could see that called "many". Not out of ~300, but OK it's "many".

 

That whole story reeks of a form of "perverted justice" all its own. The City Manager (who was fired) didn't "get permission", there were "amateurs" involved (never mind the FULL involvement of local law enforcement), etc.

 

But, hey, it's Texas. }(

[Guest EuropTravl]

>>That whole story reeks of a form of "perverted justice" all its own

 

Oh, I don't know. Makes some good points about "amateurs" vs. police doing the "undercover work" with amateurs sometimes initiating the conversations and setting the tone (come see me! my parents aren't home! bring condoms!) and how I suppose a good lawyer could have that thrown out in court. The police log would be complete and official. The Perverted Justice one could be argued to be phony and selectively edited.

[Guest zipperzone]

>NBC said if a suit is filed, "we will defend ourselves

>vigorously, as we believe the claims are completely without

>merit

 

I agree that the sister has good reason to file a wrongfull death suit. If it was just a sting without the attendant NBC publicity, it is entirely possible he would not have shot himself.

 

But.... I wonder if she is in a position financially to fight NBC's lawyers who no doubt will be supported by bottomless pockets of the TV network.

 

I agree with Lucky - I think it is sick that NBC presents this as entertainment.

 

What I really hate is the smarmy superior attitude of Chris Hansen as he grills the perps. Just who in hell does he think he is? Holier than God types always piss me off.

[Guest Raffy]

To me, it's entrapment, plain and simple... but VERY entertaining.

 

On the other hand, if it saves just ONE toddler from having to look at an ugly old-man dick, it must be worth it...

 

right?

[Guest zipperzone]

>On the other hand, if it saves just ONE toddler from having to

>look at an ugly old-man dick, it must be worth it...

 

I'd hardly call a 13 or 14 year old a toddler.

 

And let's not forget that in this day & age there are many many teens who are engaging in recreational sex with their peers and anyone else who is interested. They are not innocent little children being led astray.

 

But the biggest culprits IMHO are the parents who exercise no control over what their little darlin's do on the web and use a computer as a substitute for a baby sitter.