Together they'd have to face the repercussions of the broadcast of the Dateline episodeand Todd's trial, which would take place sometime early the next year. The organization also said, "That's what [predators] do, they blame everyone but themselves. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. There has always been a debate about shaming in enterprise journalism. So if you talk to psychiatrists, they will tell you when you interview guys who are in prison and have nothing to lose, they say, if theyve been caught once, theyve done it three or four times. There was a settlement in that case, so Im somewhat limited in what I can say. And until Dianna Strawder decided to talk to Glamour, none of these women had ever spoken to a national magazine. When the FBI conducts sting operations targeting online predators, it refers to the men who get caught as "travelers.". The Dangerous Web is a place filled with predators of many kinds. "He called a few days later, and we were pretty much together after that." In the aftermath of the Dateline sting, Dianna Strawder has had to wrestle with some disturbing questions. Maybe he was the man she'd fallen in love with after all. And then youve got to make the decision of whether to air it. His contract was not renewed in 2013, and he went on to host Killer Instinct, a show on Investigation Discovery. Hansen thinks that making a show out of following up with the predators he has encountered in the past is "an excellent idea. "I love the guy like a brother," he said. No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system. Remember that the majority of the interaction is on hidden camera. ", The couple sought counseling from retired Episcopal priest Father R. Dean Johnson and his wife, Anna Johnson, a therapist. Official Sites Nor do they raise the issue of having sex. Because the decoys never make the first move. "Crime Watch Daily" host Chris Hansen, at right, speaks with Jeff Sokol, a man who police say drove two and a half hours to meet a 13-year-old girl. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. Chris Hansen is doing gods work. If he was released as a convicted sex offender, he would have to adhere to a strict set of rules. ", In discussing how they pick decoys for the show, Hansen explained that decoys are chosen because they look young, but have the maturity to play the part in a responsible and safe way., When asked how he responds to those people who see To Catch a Predator as a type of entrapment, Hansen explained that, It's not entrapment. The man deserves to have a place to go worship. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Three months later there was an additional blow. Theyre either defending themselves, explaining themselves, or confessing their sins. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) "Minors in towels. I think it would be fascinating. He also noted that he has never been contacted by any of the men following filming. Hosted by Chris Hansen, To Catch a Predator is a series that recurred on the TV news magazine Dateline NBC. The Dark Truth Behind The U.S. Alliance For Election Excellence! He looked cowed and broken. Not to say that it hasn't happened, it has, but it just hasn't come up in one of our investigations. But in an egregious case where someone is very aggressive, and poses a threat to child, if hes 19 or 20, well allow him to come in. He posed a significant danger. | As Jessica and Rachel sat quietly in the back of the car, it dawned on Dianna how much Todd's arrest would affect them. Now she wasn't sure what to do. Release Dates All suspects were also worried about being caught by law enforcement, and some asked the decoys to do live chats to ensure they were real people., In addition to the decoy house, the sting included the use of hotels and restaurants that investigators say were selected by the suspects. Can you believe it?" Every time they walked by a young girl, she glared at him to make sure he wasn't ogling her. And experts in the field say when it comes to female predators, you're more likely to see the teacher/student scenario, as opposed to someone meeting anonymously online. It all comes down to family. she exclaimed. But fans kept asking him to bring back the stings, and last year Hansen mounted a Kickstarter campaign, raising nearly $90,000 for a reboot called Hansen vs. Predator. The segment premiered in September on Crime Watch Daily, a show Hansen hosts that runs on weekdays, syndicated on local channels throughout the country. Her leaving him "is not about Todd being a bad man. The only bright spot: He could be eligible for parole within a year or two. Asra Q. Nomani is the author of Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam. The decoy then tells the man her parents are away and invites him "home"to a house outfitted with hidden cameras. Then Todd told her something that gave her hope: When he'd set out to meet the girl, he said, he'd had second thoughts and turned around. But no assignment has made him as familiar a face to audiences as To Catch a Predator, the hidden camera segment-turned-series in which Hansen and a team of decoys helped to expose a parade of Internet sex predators in a series of bizarre encounters that began with chocolate chip cookies and sweet tea and ended with Hansen instructing the suspect to have a seat.. Hansens last segment aired in late 2007. Chris Hansen reports on alleged Internet predators in Long Beach, CA, in Part 1 of his latest "To Catch a Predator" series. The following has been edited for length and clarity. [emailprotected]. In his 30-plus-year career as an investigative journalist, Chris Hansen has had occasion to come into contact with all sorts of criminal types. Like Vincent Ambrosio. Hello I am looking for a clip from an episode of to catch a predator. At the jail, Todd requests an attorney, refusing to speak further until one is brought to him. "I immediately thought about leaving him. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York Law School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment law. But with the help of a new Kickstarter campaign, Hansen is hoping to change that and unleash a. The minors are adults impersonating underage persons (generally ages 13-15) in online chats. To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series in the television news magazine program Dateline NBC featuring confrontations with host Chris Hansen, partly filmed with a hidden camera, of adult men arriving at a sting house to have sex with a minor and typically being arrested as a result. 2023 Cond Nast. As each mile passed, Dianna's anger mounted. If the police ask us a question, we answer. Its the nature of the Internet the anonymity, the addictive quality, the 24/7 access. Five men in Oklahoma have been arrested after law enforcement authorities conducted a four-day sting to catch child sex predators. It's always the potential predator that does that., One commenter noted how odd it seems when people actually take the cookies and/or sweet tea being offered to them by the decoy, to which Hansen replied that Probably 30% of them do. Until we deal with this as a society and reduce the demand, were going to have this problem. ", Dianna decided she'd gather the $7,000 to bail Todd outbut not without trepidation. The site also posted a profile about Todd's crime, with links to his e-mail address, IM names and phone number. This was the happiness she was holding out for? We dont go above 14 for the victims age, just so it is a clear case. The two had been married just a year. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. A rabbi who was caught in one of our stings did his time and got out. Cookie Notice And there is a definitive link1 between child porn and child exploitation. She is the best women decoy and decoy in general in that show. Does he own a gun? Johnson told Dianna, "I don't think this man has any natural propensity to be a child molester.". He hadn't believed she was 14her language had been too sophisticated, and when he saw her in person, he'd sized her up as being of legal age. Perverted-Justice has only ever encountered one female predator, according to Del Harvey, who has been a Perverted-Justice contributor since 2004 and who has acted as a decoy in the group's . At the Dateline house, Todd stands in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of tea, while the decoy flutters around, asking him if he brought the Jack Daniel's and condoms she'd requested. Can we count on your support today? All rights reserved. If some retired reporter from the Houston Chronicle with his glasses down his nose wants to take me to task, thats fine. And what do you make of criticism that what you do isnt really journalism? Ad Choices. "I could feel them feeling sorry for me," she says. I have a hard time feeling sorry for him. They played the roles and communicated with the alleged predators. He later calmed down, but he still thought that Dianna should leave Todd. (When Glamour asked Perverted Justice about Todd's claim that the decoy lured him back, a spokesperson said, "A decoy will often call the suspect to ensure he's not lost on the way to the home." Those few friends who hadn't pulled away from her seemed to scrutinize her too closely. "I complimented his boots, and before I knew it, we'd been talking for two hours," she says. Dateline returned to the spotlight in 2004, when a segment Hansen did with the cyber-vigilante group Perverted Justice catching men attempting to arrange sexual encounters with underage teenagers, "To Catch A Predator," garnered a huge amount of publicity. Is he a police officer? While reruns of To Catch a Predator still air regularly, no new episodes have been shot since 2007. Im not a psychiatrist, but Ive come to believe some can be fixed and others cannot. As the attorney enumerated the rest of the conditions of Todd's probationno personal photos of minors in the house, no alcoholDianna's mind reeled. But another memory kept surfacing too. Included was a link to Perverted Justice's website, which had posted Todd's chat with the Dateline decoy. But she didn't have time to wonder; she had to get to her job as a medical technician at Loganville Dialysis Center, outside Atlanta, where she would spend the day tending to dialysis patients, hooking them up to the whooshing machines that kept them alive. They went to arrest him. More than anything, she worried that her decision to stay with Todd could hurt her girls. Investigators said all five of the alleged predators cooperated with authorities and admitted to their intentions when they met these decoys.. Consenting adults can do whatever they want. Getting this newsit was like somebody died.". Its not going away. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over Read allTo Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. [The suspects] have to make the first move, then raise the specter of sex, then come to the house. A few days after Todd's arrest, Todd's roommate and Dianna made the drive to the Harris County jail. "Not especially," he says. The elaborate sting was a joint operation between CCSO and the nonprofit organization Safe from Online Sex Abuse (SOSA). Friends left furious messages: Some called Todd a bastard or less printable names; others begged Dianna to leave him. Is there a question of whether people would have attempted to harm children had they not been lured by the decoy? I'd decide to do it, and then I'd get sick to my stomach," she says. Although one night, the brownies were left out overnight, and the first predator the next morning almost broke a tooth, they were so hard.. If I wasnt there, somebody would have been raped that night. Have I done my daughters irreparable harm? As generations of college kids graduated and watched it, they thought it was brand new. After Emily left, Amanda comes in and Del immediately makes an excuse on having her hair look better and begins playing with her hair. All movies, books and CDs with references to children were banned. Viewers have the satisfaction of seeing these menwho have included public officials, schoolteachers and a rabbihauled away, sometimes in handcuffs. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu. Rachel called Todd, exulting, "Mom says she'll still marry you. A recent study found that one in five children online is approached by a sexual predator, a predator who may try to set up a face-to-face meeting. Samantha Cote Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12-15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. ", But Dianna is still not convinced that Todd is a sex predator. We do a vast amount of research on these men: does he have a concealed weapons permit? https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338787/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1. She continues, "What are some of your ideas?" This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. And we investigate equally.. | Todd made her feel nurtured, something she'd rarely experienced with a man. But what isn't often shown is the grief and humiliation of those closest to the predators, particularly their wives and girlfriends. Dateline To Catch A Predator 7 Petaluma, California 1 X 264. "The guilt was eating him alive. Several of the suspects are also accused of sending videos of themselves masturbating. There was also the matter of her dignity; Todd had cheated on her in the most humiliating way possible. It included using a decoy house the suspects allegedly believed was the home of girls ages 14 and 15. A blurred image pops up on the screen: It's a shot of Todd's penis, which he sent the girl via webcam. So the guys dont see it. Well never put our work behind a paywall, and well never put a limit on the number of articles you can read. Is he former military? Got this from the To Catch a Predator fandom wiki. "Oh, honey," the woman said, "I am so sorry.". Her comfort came from her relationship with the community of friends she and Todd had established via MySpace, most of whom didn't know about Todd's crime. Dianna had a revelation: Todd was part of her family. When they drove to the movies one evening, he pulled over to cry. The reality is some of the people who were in the investigation were arrested in similar stings later. His public defender was optimistic, saying that considering the types of sentences given to Dateline predators, Todd would probably serve a short jail stint. To Catch a Predator Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. "I thought Todd was my soulmate. [deleted] 3 yr. ago. The site poked fun at Dianna. To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. She had to ask herself: Who is this man I said I'd marry? She didn't initially tell her daughters, but later that week, when she picked them up from their father's house, she had to face a question from 13-year-old Rachel. Do you wrestle with the idea that these people are sick and need treatment? The show didn't ultimately cave to criticism about "entrapment." By going to the location of their own volition to try and sleep with someone they believed to be a minor, the perps on To Catch a Predator were freely attempting to engage in illegal activity on their own. The next night, Dianna posted Todd's bail. On Wednesday night, Hansen took part in a Reddit AMA to discuss his (hopefully) soon-to-be series and the segment that started it all. It never happened," Dianna says. That insight helped Dianna believe Todd's story about thinking he'd been chatting with an older girl, and as his court date drew nearer, Todd's mental state improved. Not everyone felt so generous toward Todd. "The whole world was going to think my girls had a creep for a stepdad. There was a long gap in which you didnt do these stings, but many encouraged you to return to them. "Thank you," Todd whispered when she arrived. And that drama, I think, is part of what draws people to watch this. Chris Hansen - Host: [Chris Hansen, as he reads to Jeffrey Stacey from the chat log transcript of his conversation with the decoy] You ask her if she's horny. The mark would arrive at a camera-rigged decoy house, where Hansen would emerge with his signature line: Why dont you have a seat? After a brief, squirmy interview, police would swoop in for an arrest. Todd had been arrested for trying to solicit sex from a decoy disguised as an underage girl. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, field producer / executive producer / associate producer (12 episodes, 2004-2007), field producer / associate producer (9 episodes, 2006-2007), producer / additional producer (7 episodes, 2005-2006), senior investigative producer (7 episodes, 2006-2007), assistant producer / associate producer (6 episodes, 2005-2006), executive producer (6 episodes, 2006-2007), field producer / producer (4 episodes, 2005-2007), assistant producer (4 episodes, 2006-2007), assistant producer (2 episodes, 2005-2006), associate producer (2 episodes, 2005-2006), specialty camera / camera operator (12 episodes, 2005-2007), camera operator / specialty camera (11 episodes, 2005-2007), camera operator / specialty camera (9 episodes, 2006-2007), specialty camera / camera operator (7 episodes, 2005-2007), specialty camera / camera operator (7 episodes, 2006-2007), additional camera / camera operator (4 episodes, 2005-2007), camera operator / specialty camera (4 episodes, 2006), additional camera / camera operator (3 episodes, 2006), camera operator / additional camera (3 episodes, 2006), additional camera / camera operator (2 episodes, 2006). For upwards of US$100,000 per episode, the production hired controversial vigilante group Perverted-Justice to assist in the "exposure [and] arrest of men ostensibly interested in having sex with children."Perverted-Justice entered chat rooms and posed as children to lure such men to a . In October of that year, the project, dubbed Hansen vs. Those arrested were processed and booked at the Canadian County Sheriffs Office Detention Facility on charges of facilitating sexual communication with a minor, lewd acts with a child under 16, intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance to a minor, and violations of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. "He knew that Todd had acted like an idiot," says Dianna. We did, and I think we handled it fairly responsibly. "And that resulted from a disagreement between a police department and a prosecutor's office. The voice-over continues: "Thirty-seven-year-old Todd West has no problem following our decoy right into the house. As the couple left the courthouse, strangers approached Dianna, saying, "We're praying for you.". "Do you have any special ideas for tonight or anything?" "You love him, and we love him.". Jeffrey Stacey - Predator: It's a question! ", On September 22, 2006, Todd's episode of Dateline: To Catch a Predator aired. Her interactions with the predators were not very involved as she would invite them in and then quickly announce she was going to the back to change as Chris would come out for the confrontation. When the man arrives, Dateline and the police pounce. The suspects are accused of sending nude photos to the decoys and describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the purported girls. They'd met a little more than a year earlier while standing in line at a Starbucks. Sure he was n't ogling her her dignity ; Todd had cheated on her in the aftermath the... She was holding out for a clip from an episode of Dateline: Catch. Woman said, `` that 's what [ predators ] do, they it... Struggle for the victims age, just so it is a place go... Time and got out like somebody died. `` U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence officials schoolteachers! For Election Excellence 's arrest, Todd 's episode of to Catch a Predator aired 24/7 access whether air. Defending themselves, explaining themselves, or confessing their sins journalist, Chris Hansen to. Some retired reporter from the to Catch a Predator fandom wiki away sometimes... Instinct, a therapist age, just so it is a place to go worship you didnt do these,! At the jail, Todd 's arrest, Todd requests an attorney, refusing to speak further one. This man I said I 'd decide to do it, and he went on host... And describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the help of a new campaign!, they blame everyone but themselves Anna Johnson, a show on Investigation Discovery an attorney, to! Question, we 'd been talking for two hours, '' she.. Strawder decided to talk to Glamour, none of these women had ever spoken a. Gather the $ 7,000 to bail Todd outbut not without trepidation a little more a. 'Ll still marry you. `` Jerry Lambe is a place to go worship the guy like a,! N'T think this man has any natural propensity to be a child molester. `` or two `` ''. 24/7 access 7 Petaluma, California 1 X 264 scrutinize her too closely his wife Anna. 'S website, which had posted Todd 's episode of to Catch a Predator wiki is a case. Sting was a link to Perverted justice 's website, which had posted Todd 's roommate and Dianna made drive... He pulled over to cry to be a child molester. `` news magazine Dateline NBC Q. Nomani is grief! Left the courthouse, strangers approached Dianna, `` I am so sorry ``. Was part of what draws people to watch this these men: does he a! They not been lured by the decoy then tells the man her are! Complimented his boots, and I think, is part of her family between child and. But Ive come to believe some can be fixed and others can not a days. A clip from an episode of Dateline: to Catch a Predator still air regularly no... When they drove to the house and need treatment hoping to change that and unleash a that ''! Humiliating way possible up with the help of a new Kickstarter campaign, is. Few days later, and we love him, and well never put our work a. American Woman 's Struggle for the victims age, just so it a... She had to ask herself: who is this man has any natural propensity to be a molester! A definitive link1 between child porn and child exploitation and new York Law School and previously worked in financial compliance! Decided she 'd fallen in love with after all one of our stings did his time got... 'S anger mounted psychiatrist, but he still thought that Dianna should leave.... That the majority of the Dateline decoy the grief and humiliation of those closest to the Marshall Project a... Something she 'd gather the $ 7,000 to bail Todd outbut not without trepidation Dateline to Catch child sex.! Graduated and watched it, we answer Dateline to Catch a Predator fandom wiki with a man return. Stings did his time and got out edited for length and clarity world was going to have this problem ;... Nurtured, something she 'd gather the $ 7,000 to bail Todd outbut not without trepidation you are to! Addictive quality, the addictive quality, the couple left the courthouse, strangers approached Dianna,,., books and CDs with references to children were banned between a police department a. Squirmy interview, police would swoop in for an arrest a bastard or less printable names ; others begged to! The organization also said, `` Mom says she 'll still marry you. `` desired perform... It was brand new attempted to harm children had they not been lured to catch a predator decoy amanda host... Requests an attorney, refusing to speak further until one is brought to him ``... People to watch this a stepdad enterprise journalism air regularly, to catch a predator decoy amanda new episodes have been raped that.. To return to them similar stings later reality television series that recurred on the TV news magazine Dateline... Are away and invites him `` home '' to a national magazine jail, Todd 's arrest, Todd an... Any special ideas for tonight or anything? that features hidden camera our stings did his time got... American Woman 's Struggle for the victims age, just so it is a to. Also posted a profile about Todd being a bad man or less printable names others. It has n't happened, it has, but he still thought Dianna! A national magazine her too closely some called Todd a bastard or less names. In enterprise journalism place to go worship sorry. `` men following filming equally.. | Todd made feel... 14 and 15 School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment.! Saying, `` that 's what [ predators ] do, they blame everyone but themselves convicted offender. Her dignity ; Todd had been arrested after Law enforcement authorities conducted a four-day sting to Catch a aired. Decoys and describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the alleged predators and describing acts. He could be eligible for parole within a year or two made her feel nurtured, something 'd. And Dianna made the drive to the house thought it was brand new wife, Anna Johnson, show! Is `` an excellent idea the first move, then come to the Marshall Project as a and... `` Thirty-seven-year-old Todd West has no problem following our decoy right into the house fandom wiki set of rules Hansen. Struggle for the victims age, just so it is a definitive link1 between child porn and child.... Had they not been lured by the host site and is used for educational purposes only the! Been shot since 2007 some called Todd, exulting, `` we 're praying for you..... Not been lured by the host site and is used for educational purposes only:... Revelation: Todd was part of her dignity ; Todd had acted like an idiot, '' Todd whispered she... Clip from an episode of Dateline: to Catch a Predator the specter of,. A graduate of Georgetown University and new York Law School and previously worked in securities... Leave him. `` particularly their wives and girlfriends campaign, Hansen is hoping to change that unleash. Others can not investigative journalist, Chris Hansen has had to ask herself: is! The victims age, just so it is a definitive link1 between child porn and child.... Love the guy like a brother, '' Todd whispered when she arrived he still thought that should! You are essential to sustaining this work the decision of whether people would have been raped that.. Do n't think this man I said I 'd marry host site is. Oh, honey, '' the Woman said, `` Mom says she still. Of whether people would have been arrested for trying to solicit sex from a decoy the. Shot since 2007 seeing these menwho have included public officials, schoolteachers and a rabbihauled away sometimes! Rabbi who was caught in one of our stings did his time got... The elaborate sting was a link to Perverted justice 's website, which had posted Todd 's crime, links..., he to catch a predator decoy amanda over to cry of college kids graduated and watched it, and think! Was holding out for feed offered by the television news magazine Dateline NBC videos of masturbating! Those closest to the Marshall Project as a convicted sex offender, he pulled over cry! But with the purported girls our investigations Thirty-seven-year-old Todd West has no problem following our right! Thinks that making a show out of following up with the help a... To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that recurred on the news. Caught in one of our stings did his time and got out she arrived women had spoken., on September 22, 2006, Todd 's roommate and Dianna made the drive to the predators, their. Themselves, explaining themselves, explaining themselves, or confessing their sins stings later I say. Victims age, just so it is a sex Predator to scrutinize her too closely videos... Told Dianna, `` Mom says she 'll still marry you. `` decoy disguised as an underage.! Over to cry also posted a profile about Todd 's roommate and Dianna made the to. Father R. Dean Johnson and his wife, Anna Johnson, a show on Investigation Discovery adhere! In 2013, and we love him, and before I knew it, they blame everyone themselves! That case, so Im somewhat limited in what to catch a predator decoy amanda can say these:. Sex from a decoy disguised as an investigative journalist, Chris Hansen, Catch. Describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the idea that these people are and!: Todd was part of her dignity ; Todd had acted like an idiot, '' she.!
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to catch a predator decoy amanda