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

[onthebutton]

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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

[BEP]

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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.

[Phresh]

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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.

[onthebutton]

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[ QUOTE ]
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?

[Zygote]

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The Dateline NBC show is a pretty ridiculous ratings charade.

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

The suspects on the show initiate conversation with the decoys. They continue the conversations when they learn the kids are 12-14 years old. They initiate sexual conversation and send out pictures of their dicks. Finally they drive hundreds of miles to meet with what they think are 12-14 year old children. It is their intent to have sex with children.

I would recommend that you visit Perverted Justice. This is the group of people that is behind all of the Dateline stings. Read their FAQ. Read some of the chat logs of people they have convicted on the site. They are taking some terrible people and putting them in jail.

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ya im in no way supporting any of the guys on the show, or prentending that i know the legal specifics of entrapment. Just thought it was an interesting disucssion and different view of the issue - brought to my attention by my girlfriend none the less.

I'd also assume NBC cherry-picks the worst cases for public showing too, btw.

[BillNye]

if u wanna sex a 12 yr old u wanna sex a 12 yr old even if the person that u think is 12 starts the chat

[Phresh]

I agree, but they could argue that the predator wouldn't have otherwise been in the situation to bone a 12 year old.

[NT!]

yeah i don't feel much sympathy for the guys they catch, although i also hate the douchenozzles who make a living off a public spectacle like that. i'd much prefer they catch them quietly and put them away for a long time.

also, for some reason it was really funny to me when phresh said, 'a druggie who wants to score some stuff.' hahaha i don't know why that is so funny.

[popeye18]

Kinda off topic but could somoene explain a situation that would be considered entrapment.

[goodsamaritan]

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I agree, but they could argue that the predator wouldn't have otherwise been in the situation to bone a 12 year old.

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But thats not the right argument. Entrapment is more than just police merely providing the defendant with an opportunity or invitation that he would not have had. The defendant needs to show that he was otherwise unwilling to sex 12 year olds until the police coerced him into it. All these guys clearly wanted to bang the [censored] out of 12 year olds regardless of what was said to them in the chat.