Question on "Dateline: To Catch a Predator"?

I am right now watching this show on MSNBC and I am thinking to myself:

1. These guys seem harmless, they don't have guns and are not forceful with the "undercover" teens.

2. It seems as if they were not provided the "teen's" address and if the teen didn't ASK them to come over they would not have hacked their computer or do anything else illegal to get to them.

3. Most of these guys seem to feel very stupid when Chris Hansen comes out instead of the teen, they mostly says "I was just bored" or "I didn't REALLY know he/she was 13"



I really think Dateline is entrapping these guys. I only see someone as a "predator" if they force themselves onto someone else without their consent.

I'm not sure about you but when I was 13 or 14 and some jeeper creeper guy IMed me I did NOT give him my address and did NOT tell him I wanted to have sex with him.



This show goes to far in my opinion.



What is your opinion of the show?

Question on "Dateline: To Catch a Predator"?
I'm happy they are nailing the perverts. The predators initiate the conversations, initiate the sexual talk, and initiate the meetup. That isn't entrapment.



Your definition of predator is actually the definition of a rapist.



You can see full chat transcripts on the perverted justice website.
Reply:They're grown men and they know better... they're trying to take advantage of children. If Dateline hadn't set them up then they probably would have victimized a real child. And yes, some of the guys do come with ropes, knives, guns, blindfolds and other such disturbing items.
Reply:Mia,-- it is just the name of the show, get over it.



These men are breaking the law and should be exposed and prosecuted.



Its good that you knew better not to give out your number to creeps on I.M but many teens don't....



However, these adults need to know better .....***period***
Reply:MSNBC is a farce when it comes to everything else, I wouldn't believe anything they say, even if they told me Charles Manson was kook.
Reply:I hate the show and the concept. People are being convected of "thought crimes".

Yes, it's bad for an adult to take advantage of an underage person but, these guys didn't do that. And the girl they were responding to was legal age. I have a really hard time seeing the crime there.
Reply:It just shows how many of these "nice guy" predators are really out there preying on kids. It also shows that they aren't the typical bum type of person. Most are educated professionals looking for some "fun" with a child. They are not entrapped because they have consciously made the choice to go have sex with a kid they don't know and met on the internet. The reason they feel empowered to do it is because they think it is anonymous. And it isn't. It's the only decent thing Dateline ever did.
Reply:1. These guys may SEEM harmless, but what is a grown man trying to talk to a teenager for on the internet, and who knows what would really happen if Chris Hansen doesn't step in.

2. You are probably right, that if these girls hadn't asked them to come over it probably would have led to nothing between the teen and the MAN, but he would probably just move on to another teen, there have been many guys on there with prior records, and one guy they even caught twice.

3. Most criminals feel very stupid when they get caught, they also may have just been bored, or didn't know that what they were doing is wrong. How many CRIMINALS tell the truth when they get caught. Also they show these guys the transcripts of the im conversation and go over it in great detail.



This is not entrapment, because they would be looking for these girls whether it was Chris Hansen or some real 13 yr old little girl. How would you feel if this was your child that was picked up by one of these men. Granted part of it is the parents responsiblity, but we know where that goes, and someone has to protect the children.



I for one am very glad, and wish there was more i could do to help these guys out.
Reply:I love it,

flowers birthday