Dateline NBC "to catch a predator", possible entrapment?

Zygote · #1 06-15-2007, 01:21 AM

If anyone hasnt seen this show, NBC basically gets old men to list themselves as 13 year old girls/boys looking for sex in chat rooms and lure "overage" men into sexual encounters. The decoy asks the men to sometimes send pictures of themselves, to bring condoms, and sometimes alcohol and drugs. (search youtube for samples)

When they arrive, they meet a female agent, dressed to look young, who invites the guy in and leaves them alone until they face a surprise meeting with NBC's Chris Hansen. After attempting to pick their brains, the suspects leave and are immediately arrested and charged.

My problem with the whole thing is if you think beyond the sleezebags who actually show up, you'll realize that the whole thing starts with decoys who are actually middled aged men, of mature sophistication, initiating and upholding the chat. They appear to start and tempt the majority of comments in a leading manner.

In addition, the person who greets the predator is of age but just dressed to look young. Id assume they use this same over-age person's picture in the online chat so the predator is really only showing attraction to women over 18 (interesting how the mind is supposed to know 18 years old is the cut-off for attraction especially when the person posing is only trying to look young).

Overall, it appears the fact about the girl in the transaction being 13 is of nominal value. Is this really different than two consenting adults playing games with each other but in this case one of the over-age consenting adults is an undercover agent setting up the other up?

One thing is for sure, none of this is as bad as the 17 year old who got sentenced to ten years recently for getting a BJ from 15 year old... http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metr...611wilson.html

*not sure about the technical legal stuff - just my two cents

Phresh · #2 06-15-2007, 01:23 AM

wtf, how is that entrapment? The decoys make sure the mark knows they're incredibly under age.

onthebutton · #3 06-15-2007, 01:25 AM

I read somewhere that the conviction rate of people caught because of this show is very low. I'll see if I can find the link.

Oliver Nipples · #4 06-15-2007, 01:27 AM

If there is ever a crime where entrapment shouldn't matter when the suspects intention is clear, it's this.

BEP · #5 06-15-2007, 01:34 AM

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I read somewhere that the conviction rate of people caught because of this show is very low. I'll see if I can find the link.

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The conviction rate is 100%

Edit: there are a lot of cases still pending. But not one person has been found not guilty or had all charges dropped.

onthebutton · #6 06-15-2007, 01:38 AM

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I read somewhere that the conviction rate of people caught because of this show is very low. I'll see if I can find the link.

[/ QUOTE ]

The conviction rate is 100%

Edit: there are a lot of cases still pending. But not one person has been found not guilty or had all charges dropped.

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Meh. That article leads me to believe otherwise.

Edit to add: Even if the conviction rate is 100%, those are only the cases that go to trial. Those are likely the slam dunks or cases where a guilty plea has been pre-negotiated, right?

BCPVP · #7 06-15-2007, 01:26 AM

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wtf, how is that entrapment? The decoys make sure the mark knows they're incredibly under age.

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What does this have to do with entrapment? To show entrapment, the defendent has to show that they wouldn't have done what they did if it weren't for the officer's actions.

Zygote · #8 06-15-2007, 01:30 AM

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[ QUOTE ]
wtf, how is that entrapment? The decoys make sure the mark knows they're incredibly under age.

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What does this have to do with entrapment? To show entrapment, the defendent has to show that they wouldn't have done what they did if it weren't for the officer's actions.

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..and why doesnt that apply here?

and did they ever really commit a crime?

onthebutton · #9 06-15-2007, 01:34 AM

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The town of Murphy in Collin County became big news last fall after it was the location for a highly publicized sting designed to catch sexual predators, which became the subject of two NBC To Catch a Predator shows. The sting was also behind the suicide of a former Kaufman County district attorney.

However, information has arisen that indicates that after the television crews left, little happened to the alleged sexual predators.

While there were 24 arrests, little has become of the cases. Reports also reveal that the legality of the sting was questioned before it went down, and that a key search warrant was invalid.

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This is just one city and particular sting, but it doesn't sound like they did that hot.

LINK TO STORY

Phresh · #10 06-15-2007, 01:37 AM

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However, it's definitely not entrapment. Most people have no idea what the definition of entrapment is.

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I was under the impression that entrapment is when police/agents purposely try and get a person to commit a crime and then bust him for it. e.g., the person wouldn't have otherwise done it, but was coerced into doing it.

I would consider it entrapment if the decoys walked into the persons's homes, naked, and started repeating the things they say online. But in reality, they sit in a chat room alone, never initiating contact with the perverts. Once the girls make it incredibly clear they are minors, the people shouldn't be making plans to come have sex with them. Entrapment my ass, they know fully well what they are doing and have most likely been trying to do it for a while.