For several years a group of internet watchdogs (Perverted Justice) has been performing a valuable servic to society, catching internet pedophile predators and handing them over to the authorities. And over the last year or two they've been working with NBC's Dateline news program who have been airing stories called To Catch A Predator. I'd to like to start off by applauding these men and women who spend hours online dealing with some of the slimiest people you could ever imagine, enduring hours of chat with vile animals that believe they are talking to underage teens.
You can argue NBC's motives for covering these stings, of course it's for ratings and profits, but so is your evening news. Hell what's the harm in turning a profit ? And if you look at the big picture, NBC is doing a great job by hilighting the truth about Internet Predators! The truth is, they're people that work and live around us every day, from every walk of life, every nationality/race/sexual orientation/class.
So what really burns me is when people, like the residents of Murphy Texas, or callers to daytime radio shows, criticize NBC/Pervereted Justice and in some cases blame them for ruining the lives of "Inocent" men by luring them into these stings! Nobody forced these men into that chat room! Nobody told them to target 13 or 14 year old boys and girls!
Let's do a reality check here, what if they hadn't fallen into the Perverted Justice web? What if that 13 year old they were chatting to and showing their genitals to was a real child? What if it was a child in your family or circle of friends? What if instead of showing up at a sting house, this animal showed up at a real child's house? Who's life would be ruined then? Some truly inocent child's that who!
For all the people who have a knee jerk reaction to the Perverted Justice / NBC Dateline stings, please go to the link in the title and read the chat logs on the site. But be warned these are graphic chats, with some of the most disgusting suggestions from these men.
And then check some of Perverted Justice's articles on the subject. Before you condemn them, learn what's really involved. Read how many of these folks aren't paid for what they do. And then think of who's child these men could have been talking to.
If these men have their lives ruined by Chris Hansen and Dateline NBC, maybe they deserve it? Maybe it's one less victimized child!
