Dateline?s To catch a predator, Is it going anywhere.

[steppinthrax]

I guess I want to start out with saying the people that get caught and arrested on this show are sick and need treatment for their issues. But I want to also get into the subject of what is dateline trying to accomplish?..

1. Just from watching these episodes (up to 9 right now) I see that it is unarguably apparent that even educated/upright individuals sit on the net and do this kind of thing. However you notice they have never caught women nor have I seen them catch an African American person (maybe 1 or 2). I do feel there is some demographic of people that do this kind of thing more often then others. I haven't watched nor more then maybe 3 or 4 of the episodes (no in their entirety). It seems the demographic tends to be the white american male. However, that is not representative of the population considering most person's in the country are white.

2. They?ve made their point with the program. However it doesn?t seem to be helping that much. With the 9th episode already running I?m sure everyone around this country has pretty much got the clue. If you are of the sick type that likes to hang out on the net you are taking a risk of getting involved in this. So I guess my point is that the population that Dateline is going after is quite small in comparison to everybody. It?s like I?m a police car on a highway where every single car is speeding but I only catch 1 out of every 5,000 cars.

3. Since they are only catching a very small population is the purpose of this program to remedy this online predator problem or is it to generate ratings.

 

[jrenz]

Still a good show

 

[ProfJohn]

I am going to guess it is all about ratings.

These type of sting operations can take place without the camera crew so Dateline is not really doing anything other than filming what is essentially a car wreak.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Ratings are the purpose of all TV shows, period.

 

[oldman420]

It is a way to increase ratings by showing taboo behavior in a way that is socially acceptable.
I think it is a sick show

 

[KB]

Its on every other day it seems.

Actually I caught a little of the show yesterday and it seems some poelpe do run away or drive by. Some people have gotten the message.

 

[ayabe]

Well it's for ratings obviously, but I also think that there is some public service being performed, because in the last couple years since the show has been on, there has certainly be raised awareness with regards to the dangers posed by these internet predators.

So yes, getting a lot of people to watch the show is their goal and the fortunate by product of that is that a lot more people are talking about it and companies seem to realize that they need to develop methods of protecting kids.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I happened to watch it last night, and they did a sting operation on a man who turned out to be an Assistant DA - he committed suicide when confronted by the police (though it is not clear he knew the sting involved the TV show). The show is clearly exploitative, and although I think it arguably provides at least SOME socially redeeming value, there's no question it most exists to humiliate the people involved.

 

[steppinthrax]

One thing no one ever touched was the demographic that was involved. You rarely see backs nor do you see women. Am i'm surprised to not see a underage boy (less then 18) appear when he actually said he was in his 20's etc...

 

[ProfJohn]

Don, are you saying he killed himself because he was caught on TV or because he was caught by the police?

I guess it was just a matter of time before someone decided that suicide was a better choice than jail or public humiliation.
The sting operations are good, putting them on TV is just being explotive.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: DonVito
I happened to watch it last night, and they did a sting operation on a man who turned out to be an Assistant DA - he committed suicide when confronted by the police (though it is not clear he knew the sting involved the TV show). The show is clearly exploitative, and although I think it arguably provides at least SOME socially redeeming value, there's no question it most exists to humiliate the people involved.

I remember the big controversy that stirred in his hometown. The mayor and others were pissed off on the approach.

 

[Malfeas]

I'm not defending the pervs that are arrested. But I don't understand how they can be charged if they are not in actual contact with a minor, but instead someone impersonating a minor. I just don't see an actual crime committed.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Malfeas
I'm not defending the pervs that are arrested. But I don't understand how they can be charged if they are not in actual contact with a minor, but instead someone impersonating a minor. I just don't see an actual crime committed.

Don is the lawyer, but I think it has to do with intent. Which is why they get them to say what they want to do etc etc.

I don't have to kill you to be arrested for hiring someone to kill you.

 

[spittledip]

Women develop attractions in a more relational way than men- men tend to just "see" something and like it. You aren't going to find many women prowling the internet looking for victims b/c there usually has to be a a little more meaningful contact to initiate any sort of attraction. This doesn't mean that it isn't possible, it just means it isn't as likely or prominent.

White men are the typical pedophile. I am not sure about Latinos, but I know that black men are not the typical pedophile. Of course, not all of these men are pedophiles, but they are still all criminals as they are attempting to exploit kids who are too young to make informed and mature decisions.

I think that although it is kinda interesting to watch the program and see the responses of the people caught, it is also kind of a sick concept- to make money off of catching these people. And to watch it feels a little bit "dirty" also, b/c these men are being stripped bare. However, They were tricking and trapping these guys before the show came along, and it is a good idea to do that b/c each predator you catch, there may be a couple more young teens who will not abused.

edit: you don't need the show to do the sting. The sting is a good thing in my opinion, the show is not so good as it is exploitative.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Don, are you saying he killed himself because he was caught on TV or because he was caught by the police?

I guess it was just a matter of time before someone decided that suicide was a better choice than jail or public humiliation.
The sting operations are good, putting them on TV is just being explotive.

He killed himself because he was confronted by police, but it is unclear whether he knew he was also snared in a Dateline NBC sting.

I fully admit I've watched this show, but at the end of the day the entertainment value mostly comes in the shame and pain of the people caught in the sting. I certainly think people trying to have sex with children should be punished, but from a strictly humane standpoint I don't like the idea of reveling in someone else's pain. It's entertainment that appeals to a very negative human instinct IMO.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: Malfeas
I'm not defending the pervs that are arrested. But I don't understand how they can be charged if they are not in actual contact with a minor, but instead someone impersonating a minor. I just don't see an actual crime committed.

Don is the lawyer, but I think it has to do with intent. Which is why they get them to say what they want to do etc etc.

I don't have to kill you to be arrested for hiring someone to kill you.

This is correct. Most instances of people prosecuted for murder-for-hire involve defendants who try to hire an undercover cop. They can still be prosecuted for attempt, even if the crime itself is essentially impossible in that they are trying to conspire with someone who would never carry out the crime.

 

[Starbuck1975]

I find this show disturbing on a number of levels. It is a sad parade of men who should not be prowling the internet for sexual encounters with minors. However, equally disturbing is the exploitive and I believe vigilante justice nature of the show. There is an entrapment element to the manner in which these men are arrested.

Although the law of the land uses age as the dividing line, age is not an accurate measure of sexual maturity. Go to any mall, and you can see under 18 girls parading around, dressed in age inappropriate and often "seductive" attire. This is acceptable behavior, yet the men who will be inevitably drawn to the forbidden fruit are a threat to society?

Sexual predators are the latest media frenzy, and the topic drives up ratings because our society seems to enjoy passing judgment on other people. My perception is that most of the men caught and paraded on Dateline are not dangerous predators, but rather men who need some serious counseling.

Kind of a double standard that our society celebrates young women and minors as sex symbols (Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Girls Gone Wild etc.), and then condemn the monsters that such a culture creates.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

They did one of these just outside San Francisco in Petaluma. They caught quite a few H1B holders who work in the tech industry. Their nationality = Indian.

Also in the same episode they caught quite a few latinos.

All about where they are placing their targets.

 

[Malfeas]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: Malfeas
I'm not defending the pervs that are arrested. But I don't understand how they can be charged if they are not in actual contact with a minor, but instead someone impersonating a minor. I just don't see an actual crime committed.

Don is the lawyer, but I think it has to do with intent. Which is why they get them to say what they want to do etc etc.

I don't have to kill you to be arrested for hiring someone to kill you.

This is correct. Most instances of people prosecuted for murder-for-hire involve defendants who try to hire an undercover cop. They can still be prosecuted for attempt, even if the crime itself is essentially impossible in that they are trying to conspire with someone who would never carry out the crime.

Yes, but in that situation there is an actual victim(me in the example), in the 'To catch a predator' show there is none.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Malfeas

Yes, but in that situation there is an actual victim(me in the example), in the 'To catch a predator' show there is none.

It's still using the Internet and/or telephone lines to solicit sex from a child. The fact that there isn't actually a child involved doesn't eliminate the criminal intent. The illustration they use in law school is one where a husband stabs his wife in her sleep, only to find that, unbeknownst to him, she has been replaced by a wax dummy. He is still guilty of attempted murder, notwithstanding the fact that he stabbed an inanimate object - in his mind he was trying to kill a human.

 

[herkulease]

I watch it for the morons who are just so stupid to fall for this stuff. some even watched the show before. Yet think they are talking to kids on the other end.

I wonder though if you happen to go by the house and hit on the actress that supposed to be playing underage girl, do they arrest you too?

It seems to be just an ordinary house on a street.

 

[HamSupLo]

the people who watch it for entertainment value are as sick as the men caught in the show

 

[jlbenedict]

Originally posted by: spittledip
Women develop attractions in a more relational way than men- men tend to just "see" something and like it. You aren't going to find many women prowling the internet looking for victims b/c there usually has to be a a little more meaningful contact to initiate any sort of attraction. This doesn't mean that it isn't possible, it just means it isn't as likely or prominent.

White men are the typical pedophile. I am not sure about Latinos, but I know that black men are not the typical pedophile. Of course, not all of these men are pedophiles, but they are still all criminals as they are attempting to exploit kids who are too young to make informed and mature decisions.

I think that although it is kinda interesting to watch the program and see the responses of the people caught, it is also kind of a sick concept- to make money off of catching these people. And to watch it feels a little bit "dirty" also, b/c these men are being stripped bare. However, They were tricking and trapping these guys before the show came along, and it is a good idea to do that b/c each predator you catch, there may be a couple more young teens who will not abused.

edit: you don't need the show to do the sting. The sting is a good thing in my opinion, the show is not so good as it is exploitative.

Correct.. The women are the ones that are porking the little teenage school boys..
The men go online to find their prey..

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
They did one of these just outside San Francisco in Petaluma. They caught quite a few H1B holders who work in the tech industry. Their nationality = Indian.

Also in the same episode they caught quite a few latinos.

All about where they are placing their targets.

I know I saw that two. I wanted to say that I saw quite a few indian guys but I never really saw them again for other episodes.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict

Originally posted by: spittledip
Women develop attractions in a more relational way than men- men tend to just "see" something and like it. You aren't going to find many women prowling the internet looking for victims b/c there usually has to be a a little more meaningful contact to initiate any sort of attraction. This doesn't mean that it isn't possible, it just means it isn't as likely or prominent.

White men are the typical pedophile. I am not sure about Latinos, but I know that black men are not the typical pedophile. Of course, not all of these men are pedophiles, but they are still all criminals as they are attempting to exploit kids who are too young to make informed and mature decisions.

I think that although it is kinda interesting to watch the program and see the responses of the people caught, it is also kind of a sick concept- to make money off of catching these people. And to watch it feels a little bit "dirty" also, b/c these men are being stripped bare. However, They were tricking and trapping these guys before the show came along, and it is a good idea to do that b/c each predator you catch, there may be a couple more young teens who will not abused.

edit: you don't need the show to do the sting. The sting is a good thing in my opinion, the show is not so good as it is exploitative.

Correct.. The women are the ones that are porking the little teenage school boys..
The men go online to find their prey..

I was getting ready to say. I hear about these young female teachers who seduce their male students (weather it was them who started or not). But I think the pop is relatively small. I mean the percentage of female K-12 teachers is probably more then 90% around the nation and who have we caught so far maybee 5 or so teachers.