NBC's Chris Hansen and his various flavors of "To Catch a -Insert Miscreant Type Here_"

[Stinky The Clown]

Hansen has busted a bunch of sleazy, low life men who intended to have sex with children in his To Catch a Predator series. I'm glad these guys are gone, many of them in jail. They're despicable people.

He's also followed a Nigerian scam all the way back to Nigeria.

Basement waterproofers, muffler guys, car mechanics, roofers, electricians, etc., have all been his target. The fact that his work has resulted in not nice people getting caught is a good thing.

But his methods make me kind of uncomfortable. I see it is a form of entrapment, no matter the legal details. That's simply how it seems. To be sure, he doesn't actually induce the perps to do bad things; they show that predisposition all on their own. But the methods, and maybe the sensationalism in the airing on teevee, bother me.

Am I alone in this?

[Ian David]

1. No, it bothers me, too.

On the other hand, imagine being Chris Hanson and trying to get a date over the internet.

[Bunny]

2. What's his latest one? To Catch a Plumber?

I think his methods are pretty creepy, too.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Did he ever do one in which a big entity is caught with its pants down?

Or is it always the "rabble"?

[Stevenmarc]

4. He found a formula and he's running with it

[RZM]

5. Not sure where the line should be

From what I remember about the Nigerian scam show, they inserted themselves into an ongoing con, so I don't think you could make much of a case for entrapment there.

As for 'To Catch a Predator,' I don't know. It's a difficult call and probably varies from case to case. Some people on the show seem to be old hands at sexual contact with minors, while others seem very new to the game.

I actually feel kind of sorry for some sex offenders because I believe we have very little ability to control our sexual behavior. Add to that the inhuman treatment that many sex offenders receive in prison at the hands of vicious, predatory inmates and it's a sad situation. That being said, children need to be protected from such people, so I do support lengthy terms of confinement from sex offenders, though I wish we did more to protect sex offenders from other inmates.

[deaniac21]

6. I wouldn't trust him any further than I could throw him. I think he

watches reruns of his shows and masturbates.

[Ikonoklast]

7. "Why don't you have a seat right over there..."

[BeyondGeography]

8. Like he gives a shit

[jtown1123]

9. I can't speak for the others, but TCAP was run by perverted justice

a group that sits in chat rooms and waits for men to contact them first. I think this is completely legit. Some local police shown in the show are very aggressive and overly rough with the suspects. THAT, I disagree with but I don't think Hansen has much control over that.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. I think it is all legit.

I also think it is all very slimy.

I was commenting on that dichotomy.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. Those Perverted Justice people are no saints.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/nbcs-perverted-justice

MAY 29--In a scathing broadside at NBC's popular 'To Catch a Predator' series, a former producer charges that she was canned last year after complaining that the show violated 'numerous journalistic ethical standards' and many of the network's own 'policies and guidelines.' In a breach of contract lawsuit, Marsha Bartel, 49, alleges that her 21-year career at NBC ended months after her August 2006 appointment as 'sole producer' of 'To Catch a Predator,' which conducts sting operations targeting men seeking illicit liaisons with children they've met online. According to her complaint, which was filed last week in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Bartel charges that many of the program's ethical lapses stem from its relationship with Perverted Justice, a shadowy vigilante group that the show uses to 'troll for and lure targets into its sting.' A copy of Bartel's lawsuit can be found below. According to Bartel, by paying Perverted Justice, NBC has given the group a 'financial incentive to lie to trick targets of its sting.'

The identities of the group's 50-plus volunteers were kept secret from her, Bartel says, adding that Perverted Justice does not provide 'complete transcripts from its trolling operations,' so network officials 'cannot independently verify the accuracy' of the group's transcripts. In some instances, Bartel claims, sting targets are 'led into additional acts of humiliation (such as being encouraged to remove their clothes) in order to enhance the comedic effect of the public exposure of these persons.' She also charges that NBC has unethically covered up the fact that law enforcement officials have acted improperly while working in conjunction with the 'To Catch a Predator' crew, such as 'goofing off by waving rubber chickens in the faces of sting targets while forcing them to the ground and handcuffing them.'

Also:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjwtmw_sAk0

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Wow, that's eye opening.

I never knew any of that.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

16. I read somewhere that....

... even if the sting subject doesn't actually MEET with the minor, Perverted Justice may send letters to spouses, neighbors and co-workers saying so and so is a pedophile.

Reminds me too much of the fundie crusaders in the '80s taking out personal ads to "out" gay people and then sending the same letters.

Just looking at the guy in that video will tell you something is VERY wrong with PJ.

[immoderate]

10. I'm with you.

There's something "impure" to me about arresting someone for committing a non-crime like soliciting a fake teenager or other decoy.

Exposing outright fraud by contractors and repair shops is not so bad.

The show makes money by exploiting the weaknesses in our society. It distorts the actual incidence of these problems. It's like parents drive kids to school for security reasons. But they are far more likely to get killed in a car crash than they are to be kidnapped off the street.

--imm

[Modern_Matthew]

14. He lacks the intestinal fortitutde to do any investigative journalism that matters. nt

[Duer 157099]

15. Let me know when they do a "To Catch A CEO"

Or "To Catch A Wall Street Trader" or "To Catch A Corrupt Politician"

But yeah, the show is a bit creepy.