disturbing MSNBC

[Cordell Walker]

 I was wtaching this MSNBC special where they catch child predators in stings......................my first reaction is disgust, and then doubt...........................I wonder if its not acted  in some instnaces or if it took em three months or longer to film cause it seems like a nonstop parade and I just dont see how that reflects reality

[Garak]

It's a witchhunt.

[damnbiker]

I'm kind of torn.  For one, I like to see people like that arrested and convicted.  I have no sympathy for people who prey on little children (as do very few people which is probably why shows like this are successful).  On the other hand they are one type of child abuser, truthfully one of the least likely ones.  I wonder how a show that would go around publically arresting mothers who systematically abuse their children would go over (the most common form of child abuse and the most common abusers of children).  Would these mothers earn the same type pf hatred that these online (male) predators would?

Furthermore, this is just one more show that sheds men in a bad light in general.  Are seriously expected to believe taht there are no women predators, or do the women just stick to the schools for their underage sexual exploits?

[CG9603]

I am inclined to concur with what damnbiker has posted.  While I want to see perverts brought to justice as much as anyone, this series has served to create a lot more suspicion towards men in public areas.  I will not be surprised to learn of when the first story  that a child died because a man refused to do something on account he would be thought of as a molester.  This series has served to whip up a "witch hunt" atmosphere, where all are considered guilty no matter if one is innocent.  99 percent of grown men can see that this sort of behavior is wrong, and would not commit these sort of acts.  Many women are all too quick to suspect men of being like this, in my experience. 

NBC ( the network running the series) has to preface wach episode with a disclaimer that all the individuals videoed on the series are innocent until proven guilty.  I also think that NBC should take pains to point out that women are sex offenders as well - just that females offend in different or indirect ways, ways which are not identical to the methods that males use.

At one level, this has made me more unhappy and afraid of recieving a false accusation.   

[Cordell Walker]

Im just wondering if some of that shit is not scripted or edited.................I just find it hard to beleive that diddlers are that commonplace or  the real diddlers are gullible enough to fall for an old ass sting operation/turned reality TV show

[Garak]

It is sickening that "To Catch a Predator" and this MSNBC thing (which I assume is the same type of thing) are even on TV.

It is a testament to our sex-hating society that feminism has created. It is entertaining to see men getting arrested for ALLEGED sex crimes.

There has been no trial, where is the presumption of innocence before these MEN are splashed across the TV screen? Don't these play out like entrapment? Isn't entrapment illegal if the police do it? If so, then how can the police allow the media to use entrapmet to assist them? This is nothing more than a modern day witchhunt.

This society treats sex crimes worse than murder and TV shows like this celebrate that backward thinking, ya know, with the usual justification...for the children.

This isn't what our justice system is supposed to be about, is it?

Even men say "well, we want PREDATORS off the streets". PREDATORS??? I would say a murderer fits the bill of predator better, wouldn't you? So, why don't we let the media entrap murderers?

We MUST absolutely condemn this type of programming and we must NOT give people an easy out by saying "but we want the predators caught and imprisoned". We have to let people know that we don't want our justice system perverted just for ratings or over paranoia.

So many have forgotten that the intended values of justice system would rather see 1000 guilty people go free than 1 innocent person punished.

[Garak]

Let's take a look at how these things are done:

The method used to catch would-be predators is derived from that normally used by Perverted-Justice. Perverted-Justice volunteers build profiles of clearly underage individuals on social networking websites, and enter chatrooms as decoys.

For the Dateline NBC stories, would-be predators are invited to an undercover house used by Dateline for the duration of the operation; in accordance with Perverted-Justice policy, phone contact is always established with a suspected predator before any appointment is set up.[citation needed] The visitors are led to believe that the supposed minor is home alone, and, upon coming inside the house, are soon confronted by Hansen.

Hansen attempts to interview each one at length about their intentions. Some exit the home immediately upon seeing Hansen, because they recognize that he is clearly not a teenager, or they have seen him in previous Dateline investigations. Hansen, without initially identifying himself, interviews the predators about their intentions, and also reads aloud some of the graphic portions of the chat. Those who have not seen Hansen's Dateline investigations before often assume that he is either the child's father or a member of a law enforcement agency. After a few minutes of questioning, Hansen identifies himself as a Dateline NBC correspondent and informs the visitor that the entire interview has been recorded on hidden camera as part of the Dateline NBC story. Then, men with large cameras and microphones come out, and the predator is offered a chance to make a final statement before being asked to leave.

The first two investigations did not have law enforcement officers on site, and individuals caught in the sting were allowed to leave voluntarily. Dateline would provide all video and transcripts to law enforcement and suspects would eventually be arrested, but the lack of an immediate arrest proved controversial [citation needed] - at least one suspect disappeared before police could arrest him. Arrests are sometimes made in a dramatic fashion [citation needed] by multiple officers who, with guns drawn, ambush the suspect and command him to lie on the ground, face-down, before being handcuffed. On occasion, a predator attempts to avoid capture and arrest by fleeing. Tasers are sometimes shown being used to subdue fleeing[1] or unresponsive[2] individuals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Catch_a_Predator

So yeah, the media in these cases IS acting as assistance to law enforcement and should  be bound by the restrictions that govern law enforcement. Entrapment is illegal!!

Anyone still think these shows are GOOD?

[Lazurite]

Weren't several of the supposed "predators" caught on that show later freed because they were able to prove that the methods used to lure them there legally constituted entrapment?  I wonder how many more were entrapped but weren't able to or didn't know to use that fact in their defense...

[Garak]

Weren't several of the supposed "predators" caught on that show later freed because they were able to prove that the methods used to lure them there legally constituted entrapment?  I wonder how many more were entrapped but weren't able to or didn't know to use that fact in their defense...

Exactly! There is no defense for shows like this and I wish the general public (and especially MRA's) would see that.

[SouthernGuy]

[lovingly angry young man]

What I have heard quite a few times is that men,including legally mature teens themselves,are supposed to be 'losers' who cannot deal with adult women. Put differently,these men do not have much power over women. It is not that they necessarily prefer minors,it's just that they judge it easier to succeed with them or perhaps have lost all hope with adult women. Because of the status issue of these men,it would seem reasonable to assume that the men could be the opposite of the user stereotype that is often associated with them. It's hard enough to get female attention, dumping a faithul contact would not be in the most relevant interests of such a person,just like a woman deemed to be below average in attractiveness would have fewer options.

[FP]

Heh, beat me to it SouthernGuy with the Chris Hansen pic. Southpark's sendup on him/his show was rather good a few weeks ago.

[dr e]

Yet another area where men have been demonized due to the actions of a tiny fraction of the male population.  The feminists have suceeded in doing this around issues like, pedaphilia, domestic violence and rape.  The percent of men actually perpetrating those crimes is tiny and yet they have been able to paint all men with the brush of potential rapist, pedaphile or wife beater.  When looked at from a  marketing standpoint it is a truly remarkable campaign they have pulled off.  Unbelieveable. 

Men are bad and women are victims.  How stupid is the general public?  I mean really?

[Cordell Walker]

Yet another area where men have been demonized due to the actions of a tiny fraction of the male population.  The feminists have suceeded in doing this around issues like, pedaphilia, domestic violence and rape.  The percent of men actually perpetrating those crimes is tiny and yet they have been able to paint all men with the brush of potential rapist, pedaphile or wife beater.  When looked at from a  marketing standpoint it is a truly remarkable campaign they have pulled off.  Unbelieveable. 

Men are bad and women are victims.  How stupid is the general public?  I mean really?

to answer your last  question dr E, HL MEncken said  "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of  the american public"