TV: Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator

[shant]

To Catch a Predator: MSNBC Site

Is anyone watching these? The past two Wedneday nights have been devoted to these hour long specials. They are definitely the creepiest a TV shows I've watched in a while, but are full of LOL moments.

Here's a quick synopsis. They set up decoys to chat with men looking to have sex with underage girls/boys. They then set up a meet with the men, and have a decoy house setup with hidden cameras all over. The guys come up to the house, park, come in and see a decoy girl/boy. The decoy tells them to wait in a room, where the Dateline host guy walks out and confronts them. They either run off or talk with him about what they're planning on doing with the girl/boy. The host guy even reads chat logs they had with the minor which is really awkward and embarassing. Then when they're done getting info from the guy, they send them outside to be arrested by local sheriffs.

A couple highlights from tonight:

- A guy shows up and he's not a midget, but he's under 5 ft tall. They find out he is going to jail in a week for soliciting a minor for sex, and he was trying to have sex with a kid before going into jail for a year. The best part is his screen name is "changesforthebetter2006."

- They have some really straight-laced dude reading the chat logs while they show transcripts on screen. When they get to an "lol" in the chat, he says "laugh out loud" in a really robotic way.

- One guy is already naked and starting to rub himself as the host walks in to greet him.

One thing I find weird about this show is all the guys' faces are on camera and none are blurred? Do these guys actually sign a release to let them use their face? Is their a law that once they commit a crime they lose their right to this waiver deal? There was a shot on the show of multiple guys in jail, but only the guy who had been featured on the show earlier was unblurred. These guys can't be stupid enough to sign the waiver and some of them openly worry about their jobs when they find out this is part of a Dateline show.

Just a heads up, next week at Wednesday will be the 3rd Wednesday in a row that they show this. I already have mine set to Tivo. The preview had another guy already naked by the time the host walks in and a guy who was showing up to meet a young boy for sex and brought his 5 year old son with him. WTF.

[___SK___]

havent they already shown these? i know i've seen them twice. unless they are doing the same premise twice.

when i say it they busted the same guy on back to back days and they busted a priest

[WiltOnTilt]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing I find weird about this show is all the guys' faces are on camera and none are blurred? Do these guys actually sign a release to let them use their face? Is their a law that once they commit a crime they lose their right to this waiver deal? There was a shot on the show of multiple guys in jail, but only the guy who had been featured on the show earlier was unblurred. These guys can't be stupid enough to sign the waiver and some of them openly worry about their jobs when they find out this is part of a Dateline show.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've often wondered this.

I love these shows. I think they are doing great stuff for kids who are too retarded for their own good and the predators that take advantage of them. A few minutes of pleasure in exchange for (in many cases) seriously eff'ing up someone for the rest of their life.

Can you believe some of these idiots actually admit to seeing these specials when confronted?

Also, at least in Kansas City, some of the local news stations have seen what great ratings these specials get, and they've began to start their own mini local investigations. I hope every one of these bastards gets exposed for who they are before being locked up for good.

KoW

[Tsai Shen]

Yeah, it's creepy.

What's creepier is that I actually know one of the guys on the show. It was kinda surprising to look up and see him, this first ran quite awhile ago. He can't see his kids anymore, some people flyered where he worked, but he didn't get locked up. I didn't talk to him for quite a long time before that aired, he is rather creepy.

[IggyWH]

One of the older shows, they busted a dude who worked for Homeland Security.

[junglewarfare]

Wow, sounds like pretty much the creepiest and most [censored] up TV out there. WTF.

[BWebb]

My favorite highlight from these shows was when they were arresting one guy in the driveway while another one showed up. They told him it was from the house next door so the guy went into the house still and got busted.

BTW Shant, did you make it to Coachella? I got there right at 4:00 on Saturday, went to the Gobi tent and realized it would be impossible to find anyone without more specific info. I had a great time, just haven't gotten around to posting a trip report.

[Jorge10]

This show is very creepy, but its very addictive television. My favorite is the teacher who had kids that was arrested. The guy was very cool and collected considering his life was about to be ruined. When he saw the host, he right away said, "I am under arrest." Then he talked with the guy from the show a bit and didnt lose his cool at all. It seemed as if he did nothing wrong. It was really creepy.

[shant]

To the guys who say they've seen it before. They are doing the same premise multiple times. I believe next week is episode V.

Bwebb,

Sorry, never made it to Coachella.

[marchron]

Meh. I want "Heist" back.