Did To Catch a Predator perform a public service,
or was it just another ratings-hungry reality
series?
However you feel about NBC's hit program,
we've dug up a collection of behind-the-scenes
details that might change your opinion.
Questionable Content
Almost instantly, To Catch a Predator caused
a stir among reporters who felt the segment
went too far—not just in content, but in
execution.
CBS News' Brian Montopoli accused the series
of being interested in nothing more than ratings,
arguing it didn't operate with enough journalistic
integrity.
Furthermore, Montopoli accused the segment
of taking the law into its own hands by publicly
exposing child molesters on national television.
Harsh as his opinion of the show might be,
Montopoli also made it clear he feels no sympathy
for the men exposed through its efforts.
Entrapment Or Enticement?
Anyone in the business of rooting out illegal
behavior runs the risk of being accused of
entrapment.
But according to Dateline correspondent Stone
Phillips, there's a fine line between entrapment
and enticement, and it's always clear that
the show's targets are no strangers to predatory
practices online.
"Clearly, no arms are twisted to get these
men to engage in sexually explicit online
chats.
And since the stated intent of the house visit
is to have sex with a minor, the ultimate
responsibility lies with the men who come
knocking on the door, no matter who initiates
the meeting."
Don’t Mess With Texas
Not all the perps collared by the show have
been given the punishment they seem to deserve.
After the segment nabbed 24 men in Murphy,
Texas, the local district attorney refused
to prosecute the cases, claiming the amateur
involvement of Perverted-Justice, the foundation
that teamed with NBC to create To Catch A
Predator, "tainted" them.
The DA had backup from Murphy’s mayor, who
said that even though the men in question
deserved punishment, the involvement of a
television show raised questions.
Local residents were also furious that the
show lured pedophiles to their town, and to
a house only two blocks from a school.
Death Of A Predator
The negative reaction to the show in Murphy,
Texas was largely caused by the suicide of
Louis Conradt.
He’d previously been chatting with Perverted-Justice
and had requested illegal images from someone
identifying as a minor, but he didn’t actually
go to the Predator house.
Instead, Dateline waited outside his residence
for hours until the SWAT team arrived.
“As they made entry, they confronted the
suspect.
I believe he was in the hallway and he told
them he wasn’t going to hurt them.
And then shot himself in the head.”
State investigators found child pornography
among Conradt's possessions, as well as "evidence
of graphic online chats."
His sister, Patricia Conradt, filed a $100
million lawsuit against NBC, claiming her
brother's exposure caused him to commit suicide.
By 2008, the lawsuit was "amicably resolved"
in a confidential settlement.
Thrown Out Of Court
A 26-year-old man arrested for trying to have
relations with a 13-year-old girl put yet
another nail in To Catch a Predator's coffin.
When the case went to trial in 2011, the judge
threw it out after only six days, saying there
was no evidence that the man intended to have
have relations with a minor.
In addition, the judge also accused the segment
of entrapment.
After the trial, the defendant's mother vowed
to sue NBC to reclaim the money spent defending
her son.
Out Of Cash
After NBC stopped airing segments of To Catch
a Predator, Perverted-Justice blew through
the $1.2 million they earned, and they've
since become strapped for cash.
Though the group is non-profit, group founder
Xavier Von Erck reportedly spent the NBC money
on "himself, his friends, and his website.”
Second Thoughts
By 2007, To Catch a Predator had collected
lots of negative press, including heavily
critical stories in Rolling Stone and Esquire.
Some of Dateline's advertisers expressed misgivings
about continuing to support the segment, and
as a result, NBC started scaling back production.
By August of that year, only one segment had
been shot, compared to seven the previous
year.
NBC claimed it wasn't distancing itself from
its controversial hit, but the numbers showed
otherwise.
Chris Hansen, Cheater
Chris Hansen, a 20-year veteran at NBC, was
ultimately canned after getting caught red-handed
himself.
He and a Florida affiliate reporter got a
little too close for comfort, which wouldn't
normally be a huge problem, but Hansen was
married at the time.
The network sustained a bit of a black eye
during the scandal—and some might say they
dropped the ball by not firing him on a segment
similar to his own.
“So you have a big afternoon planned, huh.”
Predator Reborn
“There is something you need to know.
I am Chris Hansen and you are going to help
me catch predators again.”
In 2015, Chris Hansen launched a Kickstarter
campaign to fund a web series called Hansen
Vs. Predator, with plans to bring it to television
later.
He claimed viewers were hungry for "another
investigation," and he meant to sate that
hunger.
By May, he'd raised almost $90,000 and started
production, with investigations already underway.
Hansen Hired
In August 2016, Hansen was hired to host the
nationally syndicated series Crime Watch Daily,
which celebrated his arrival by renaming itself
Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen.
As part of the new deal, he agreed to make
his Hansen vs. Predator web series part of
the program.
Predators around the world, you're on notice.
“With your help I’ll get that next group
of predators very soon.”
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