NBC sued over "Dateline" sex predator suicide

[jaguarr]

He was a pedophile. Period. Good riddance.

jag

 

[DorkyFresh]

NBC news's goal was to embarrass the man....not to end his life. regardless of any wrong-doings NBC might or might not have done...it's still not their fault that he's dead. his life was taken by HIS OWN hands...not anyone else's.

i'm not sure if they found any evidence of him being an actual pedophile but that doesn't necessarily mean that he wasn't one. even if he wasn't...that doesn't mean he wouldn't have done anything if he had gone unchecked. after all...strange urges like a fully grown man wanting to have sex with a 13 y/o boy don't exactly just go away.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

me and my roomate were watchin the show the other day... that and his "ipod" special... Chris Hansen is starting to annoy me... i mean really it's as if he's trying "figure out" and do some real reporting... yet gets the same answer every time... his ipod thing was dumb as hell.. "lets leave bags out with the ipod box purposely sticking out" and then they go track these people down, and make them think they won something, and show them video of them taking an ipod...

my biggest problem with that was A) if your in a place for a long period of time, and no ones come back for the bag... who wouldnt take it? i mean im not just gonna take an ipod just because it's left out and i was only there for a lil bit. B) is it even stealing ? stealing to me is more like robbing, but if no one is claiming an ipod.. then i think it's ok.

similar to this there was an episode of to catch a predator where they guy got close.. but turned around and said "i'm gonna go, i don't want to do this" and as he walked away.. he STILL got arrested. I mean is this "minority report?" i think sometimes the show does get a bit extreme, ya it's gross to be talking to a underage kid about sex and showing them pics, but acting on it.. and or with the intent to follow through is different. then actually walking in the door.

me and my roomie both decided that it'd be hilarious to see Chris Hansen wrapped up in some contravircy... wouldn't it be great if he was found out to be havin sex with one of his "decoys" haha...

 

[spideyboy_1111]

NBC news's goal was to embarrass the man....not to end his life. regardless of any wrong-doings NBC might or might not have done...it's still not their fault that he's dead. his life was taken by HIS OWN hands...not anyone else's.

i'm not sure if they found any evidence of him being an actual pedophile but that doesn't necessarily mean that he wasn't one. even if he wasn't...that doesn't mean he wouldn't have done anything if he had gone unchecked. after all...strange urges like a fully grown man wanting to have sex with a 13 y/o boy don't exactly just go away.

but what your saying in a way is "just because they have thoughts, means there probably going to do it again" you can't arrest someone on thoughts, i mean majority of us have been angry enough to wish someone dead but do we follow through? no.. why? because thats what seperates the civilized from the savage, and its moral judgement. like i said before... you can't go all "minority report" on real life... the movie even showed how that system can fail... people can change and there moral judgement kicks in within the last minute. you can't say "once a druggy always a druggy"

 

[spideyboy_1111]

ps. and not to confuse ignorant people like last time... im not standing up for pedophiles, pedophilia is an act. if they don't act on it there not a pedophile.
i have no respect for a pedophile or someone with the intent... but if someone had a convo with a girl or boy online underage.. ya its sick, but those people can never act on it... does it make them good? no, does it make them evil, no... and if they stop or only talked to a person once... and realised "ya... thats not a good thing to be doing" and re evaluate themselves.. then ya thats a pretty good rehabilitation. If its possible that is.

I just really have a problem with the ify way the show does indeed go about things at times. if the dudes a scum bag i dont mind.. but where do u draw the line? if the guy gets out of his car... then immediately gets back in.. and drives home, and realised he doesnt wanna do that again.. should he still be arrested?

 

[SoulManX]

Doctor Claims Entrapment in NBC "Predator" Series

A doctor targeted by Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" producers has claimed that he was lured by the program's staff and has asked a judge in Santa Rosa, CA to dismiss the charges against him. Dr. Maurice Wolin said that the Perverted Justice employee working with Dateline and posing as a 14-year-old child, accused him of being "a chicken and a liar and a ditcher and a player" after he told her he was "not ready yet" and "couldn't do anything." In fact, Wolin told police, "She begged me to come. I know that doesn't make it right ... but I never would have done anything." Meanwhile the program and Perverted Justice have been criticized by Bradd Russ, training director for the federal Internet Crimes Against Children task force. In an interview with Saturday's Contra Costa Times, Russ said, "I think there are definitely entrapment issues. ... The fact law enforcement allows themselves to abdicate their role and responsibility and become agents for the media and actors for the media is very disturbing."

 

[Superman79]

people can change and there moral judgement kicks in within the last minute. you can't say "once a druggy always a druggy"

you make an intelligent and valid arguement but there is overwhelming data that shows pedophiles have the highest rate of recidivism and escalation of their criminal behavior of ANY criminal act...so in this case you could say once a pedophile, always a pedophile...according to the data.

 

[Superman79]

if the guy gets out of his car... then immediately gets back in.. and drives home, and realised he doesnt wanna do that again.. should he still be arrested?

Driving out there was enough. Under the law in most states a substantial step is enough to be guilty of attempt if not the crime itself...

 

[Gilpesh]

Doctor Claims Entrapment in NBC "Predator" Series

A doctor targeted by Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" producers has claimed that he was lured by the program's staff and has asked a judge in Santa Rosa, CA to dismiss the charges against him. Dr. Maurice Wolin said that the Perverted Justice employee working with Dateline and posing as a 14-year-old child, accused him of being "a chicken and a liar and a ditcher and a player" after he told her he was "not ready yet" and "couldn't do anything." In fact, Wolin told police, "She begged me to come. I know that doesn't make it right ... but I never would have done anything." Meanwhile the program and Perverted Justice have been criticized by Bradd Russ, training director for the federal Internet Crimes Against Children task force. In an interview with Saturday's Contra Costa Times, Russ said, "I think there are definitely entrapment issues. ... The fact law enforcement allows themselves to abdicate their role and responsibility and become agents for the media and actors for the media is very disturbing."

Where's the chat log that proves it was entrapment?

Also... wouldn't a 14 year old respond like that?

If this guy is so innocent, wouldn't he have not even sent messages to that decoy at all?

Is it okay to get all sexual in a talk with an underage kid, but not do anything physically?

 

[Superman79]

It's not legally entrapment if he's predisposed to do such things. So sayest the law...

 

[AhabTheArab]

hate to be that womans lawyer.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

aHAHAHAHAHAHA

Someone's talking about "entrapment" ?!

lol

 

[Addendum]

 

[DorkyFresh]

but what your saying in a way is "just because they have thoughts, means there probably going to do it again"

no...please go back and reread my post. i never said such a thing. please don't put words in my my mouth.

you can't arrest someone on thoughts

they weren't going to arrest him based on just "thoughts"...they had words that showed intent.

you can't arrest someone on thoughts, i mean majority of us have been angry enough to wish someone dead but do we follow through? no.. why? because thats what seperates the civilized from the savage, and its moral judgement. like i said before... you can't go all "minority report" on real life... the movie even showed how that system can fail... people can change and there moral judgement kicks in within the last minute. you can't say "once a druggy always a druggy"

once again...please reread my post. i never said that he was DEFINITELY a pedophile or that he would DEFINITELY turn out to be one. i basically said that the sting stopped a man who could have POSSIBLY abused minors or at least had the makings of a person who could do it. even if they do a full investigation that turns out to show he's never touched a minor...they still have words that show what he intended to do. if he was innocent and didn't have anything to worry about then he could've gotten off with a damaged reputation. he didn't HAVE to commit suicide.

NBC might be getting higher ratings because of this show but that's no reason to place blame on them. you can't really blame someone for catching sexual predators, even if their motivation isn't honorable. i'm sure this kind of stuff (sex predator stings) happens all the time without NBC...it's just not filmed. you talk of moral judgement...that judgement came into play when that guy decided to take his life. if that guy was so innocent then it's a shame he unnecessarily suicided himself....but i cannot sit here and place the blame of a pervert killing himself on a station that brings this show to living rooms and ultimately creates a better awareness as to what kind of animals are using the internet to carry out their sick ways.




even if he never TRULY intended on meeting up with a minor...he was still chatting with someone he thought was one and could've injected sick and twisted ideas into that potential minor's head. for that reason alone...i can't and won't blame NBC for his suicide. we can debate and argue until the world ends but he was the ultimate decider of his fate.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

the way you can blame the show though, on more of a moral basis is the fact they will do whatever they can in order to get the guy to come to the house. thats the part i get iffy on.

and that i fear is what is happening. ya the guys shouldnt be coming over anyway... but the argument either way was (if they chicken out should they still get arrested?) i'd like to see actually what the percentage of guys who get charges dropped are.. that could be interesting to find out

 

[The Lizard]

Read This:

http://www.esquire.com/features/predator0907

Wow, that is a really, really verbose article. The novel-like narrative where inner dialog and emotions of the "characters" are described was interesting, if not very much written in the style of objective journalism.

However, the claims made by the sources (presumably the "Gator" detective guy and the actor who played the young boy) do bring up interesting questions about Dateline's role in pushing through the warrant for Conradt's arrest. Sounds like most of the questionable mistakes lie with the Terrell Police Department's procedures though, not NBC.

One thing that the writer of that Esquire article does that is NOT COOL - he smugly gives the real name and home town of one of the Perverted Justice workers who has talked online to the predators. That's real considerate of the man's safety. A-hole reporter.

I admit, the guy probably had pedophilic urges, but did he ever once act on those urges? Did he ever meet up with the decoy? Absolutely not. The most he ever did was post sexually explicit messages with a "13 year old".

Some would argue that, despite the possible overkill on the part of the police, that was enough to damn the guy to whatever he had coming.

 

[Norman Osborn]

He was a pedophile. Period. Good riddance.

jag

Simple and to the point...nuff said....there isn't a punishment cruel and unusual enough!!.....

 

[kane9321]

mental anguish..wtf? Her brother was a freakin pedophile. One less freak on the street trying to bang little girls

 

[Gilpesh]

Um, he was a boy chaser.

 

[Kritish]

I wouldn't mind her entrapping me.

 

[zanos]

me and my roomate were watchin the show the other day... that and his "ipod" special... Chris Hansen is starting to annoy me... i mean really it's as if he's trying "figure out" and do some real reporting... yet gets the same answer every time... his ipod thing was dumb as hell.. "lets leave bags out with the ipod box purposely sticking out" and then they go track these people down, and make them think they won something, and show them video of them taking an ipod...

my biggest problem with that was A) if your in a place for a long period of time, and no ones come back for the bag... who wouldnt take it? i mean im not just gonna take an ipod just because it's left out and i was only there for a lil bit. B) is it even stealing ? stealing to me is more like robbing, but if no one is claiming an ipod.. then i think it's ok.

similar to this there was an episode of to catch a predator where they guy got close.. but turned around and said "i'm gonna go, i don't want to do this" and as he walked away.. he STILL got arrested. I mean is this "minority report?" i think sometimes the show does get a bit extreme, ya it's gross to be talking to a underage kid about sex and showing them pics, but acting on it.. and or with the intent to follow through is different. then actually walking in the door.

me and my roomie both decided that it'd be hilarious to see Chris Hansen wrapped up in some contravircy... wouldn't it be great if he was found out to be havin sex with one of his "decoys" haha...

It is illegal to sollicit a minor for sex. They don't actually need to show up to be arrested.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

It is illegal to sollicit a minor for sex. They don't actually need to show up to be arrested.

interesting.. i wasn't aware of that being enforced online as well.. why don't they just track IP addresses then?

 

[Gilpesh]

interesting.. i wasn't aware of that being enforced online as well.. why don't they just track IP addresses then?

Um... how do you think they got this guy in the first place?

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Um... how do you think they got this guy in the first place?

well why arn't they doing that to everyone then? they'd get alot more people.. to be honest this is the first time ive EVER heard of someone getting arrested for just the online talking, rather then actualy meeting

 

[X-Punisher]

That's why i don't like Dateline, because it makes it impossible for these guys to live a normal life after jail.