Chris Hanson (the host; see picture to the left) conducts these undercover investigations with an online group called Perverted-Justice. Perverted-Justice works with local authorities and together they conduct these busts. This popular series has been on for quite some time now and faces some lawsuits. A man committed suicide after being caught in the sting which raises the issues of how extreme are the actions by these groups toward a situation they create. So I searched the blog world to see what other people had to say about NBC Dateline’s To Catch a Predator and see if anyone agreed with me. The first blog I read praised the show and opted for internet laws. While I agree there should be internet laws, the laws I am in favor of are entrapment laws and identity laws. The second blog I read was all favor on To Catch a Predator and thought that they weren’t doing anything wrong. Majority of child sexual abuse happens within the family or friends of the family. I feel a person needs to be pretty stupid to invite a stranger they met on the internet over, or at the same time get caught and be on national television."Law Enforcement and the Web, Social Networks, Cyberworld Communities"
Comment:
First of I want to agree with you that it is the right of every person out there in cyber land to inform the police about criminal activity. Doing so makes you a good citizen because if you saw something illegal going on in the real world, you'd think that you would do something about it like call the cops. But just like we have entrapment laws in the books we should have the same on the internet. Shows like NBC Dateline's To Catch a Predator with the help from Perverted-Justice help create criminal activity for these guys. They carry a week or so conversation between the pervert (see picture to the right) and the decoy and then give the pervert a reason to come and visit. But when he gets 
there, before committing any crime (because the decoy allows them to come inside) get publically humiliated and then arrested. I totally think that it is wrong for the perpetrators to carry conversations with what they think are young boys or girls and drive out of their way to come and do god knows what. It is the job of the kid’s parents to make sure their kid isn’t chatting with strangers on the internet. Just like people preach “abstinence” is the best form of protection during sex, not chatting with strangers should be the same priority. There should defiantly be internet awareness campaigns out there just like we have with drugs, alcohol, and HIV. On one hand I praise the fact that To Catch a Predator exposes these weirdoes, I feel like they create entrapment as well.
“Chris Hansen, Dateline and PeeJ are at it again!”
Comment:
Hey man, I totally agree NBC Dateline’s To Catch a Predator series is the best piece of reality out there. I find myself glued to MSNBC when they have their block documentaries on. But the more I watch them and laugh at the sickos; I get to thinking that the perverts are being set up big time. Its one thing to a persistent predator, but it seems that a lot of the guys are unsure about driving to these locations and coming into the house but the decoy continues to lure him in. I feel like Perverted-Justice creates these crime situations for these people and humiliate them on national television. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s really funny, but these people have families and lives and yea the creep should get what he deserves but their families shouldn’t have to suffer on their behalf. How devastating would it be for a wife to find out her husband problem is now national entertainment for everyone to laugh and make judgments on. Even you reported yourself about a man committing suicide in Texas after one of these investigations. If we allow this to go on where would we be drawing the line? Even those these people are the bottom scum, they are entitled to their own rights; rights that protect them from entrapment and public humiliation.
