"But if I were you, I'd leave him. He was obviously depressed. Hansens last segment aired in late 2007. "He did a bad thing. NBC But the series ended after some negative headlines, which included one of the show's targets dying by . I always thought Todd was nice. "I loved Todd, but I wasn't sure about my decision," she says. His public defender was optimistic, saying that considering the types of sentences given to Dateline predators, Todd would probably serve a short jail stint. As each mile passed, Dianna's anger mounted. May 5, 1987 He was having graphic conversations with two of our decoys. When asked whether his famous have a seat line will be utilized in the new show, Hansen confirmed, Yes, of course. But with the help of a new Kickstarter campaign, Hansen is hoping to change that and unleash a new seriesthe forebodingly titled Hansen vs. Predatoron the world. Several of the suspects are also accused of sending videos of themselves masturbating. Five men in Oklahoma have been arrested after law enforcement authorities conducted a four-day sting to catch child sex predators. If I wasnt there, somebody would have been raped that night. and our Convicted murderer identified as suspect in 1980 cold case of 21-year-old N.J. woman foun The Construction Surge in Judea and Samaria Will Return. He grimaced. The decoy then tells the man her parents are away and invites him "home"to a house outfitted with hidden cameras. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The best decoy on To Catch a Predator is a woman, her name is Casey Mauro. ", 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. He battled tabloid stories of an extramarital affair. Soon after they walked into the restaurant, Wadkins said, "You have children. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. Some may recognize me, some think Im the mad dad, some think Im a detective. Technology has improvedfor everything from the cameras to the microphones. 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. "You can make a request to the superior court," said Wadkins, "but there is no judge in Georgia who is going to let your husband live with your daughters.". 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. "While it is never easy to accept that someone you know, even online, has been convicted of such a horrific crime, it is important that you, the general public, be made aware of this serious offense." Two weeks after Todd went to jail, a Perverted Justice fan sent an e-mail to Todd's online friends. 15 years ago I was 18 and inviting men into my Nana's house isn't that what all freshman girls in college should be doing on their spring break?To Catch A P. He's here to meet a girl who online told him she was a 14-year-old virgin. 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. Release Dates 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. The organization also said, "That's what [predators] do, they blame everyone but themselves. ", Months later Dianna and her daughters met with Bob Wadkins, Todd's public defender, to discuss Todd's probation restrictions in detail. ", Dianna carefully explained and told her daughters that though she wasn't sure about the future of the relationship, she was going to get Todd out of jail and take him to his home. "I kept asking myself, Am I a lunatic for putting this man near my children?". Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Todd had been arrested for trying to solicit sex from a decoy disguised as an underage girl. We dont go above 14 for the victims age, just so it is a clear case. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12-15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. Authorities say that SOSA provided the operation with two female actresses who acted as bait. There was a long gap in which you didnt do these stings, but many encouraged you to return to them. "I love the guy like a brother," he said. According to a news release from the Canadian County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), the five suspects taken into custody include Trace Turkelson, 22, of Elgin; Cody Ewing, 27, of Yukon; Tracy Fisher, 41, of Tulsa; William Copeland IV, 29, of Calhan, CO; and Otha Smith . Jessica plucked from the bookshelf one of her favorites from the American Girl Library: The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls with a cover illustration of three young girls wrapped in bath sheets. These predators deserve jail time or worse. When asked about the worst scenario he ever encountered while filming To Catch a PredatorThe one that made [you] question humanity the mostHansen didnt hesitate in replying, When the guy walked in, naked and wanted to involve whipped cream and a cat in the sexual scenario. (You can see the original clip here. And that drama, I think, is part of what draws people to watch this. The predator is talking to the decoy and says "I am really glad this isnt a sting" right before Chris Hansen comes walking over the sand dunes. 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. In a Dateline hidden camera investigation, correspondent Chris Hansen catches some of these men in the act. We would not do it without law enforcement and prosecutors being involved. "As crazy as it sounds, our relationship felt stronger than ever," says Dianna. The women decoys can sound like children unlike the men, men have deeper voices than women so its hard for someone with a deeper . In 2004, NBC reporter Chris Hansen began leading stings in which children played by adult actors invited men to meet them for sexual encounters. I know Ive been taken to task by the Poynter Institute and some old-line journalists, but I think we had to evolve into what was the right thing to do. He battled tabloid stories of an extramarital affair. The elaborate sting was a joint operation between CCSO and the nonprofit organization Safe from Online Sex Abuse (SOSA). He went to visit a girl your age for an indecent purpose. Every night Dianna and her girls got nasty anonymous phone calls, the mildest of which called Todd a "sicko pervert." They were going to go to school with that on their shoulders every day," Dianna recalls. She couldn't stop obsessing, not just over the repulsive details reported on the Dateline episode, but also about his intended infidelity. Plot summary Add synopsis Crime Drama Reality-TV Add content advisory January 30, 2007 (United States) See more company credits at IMDbPro Technical specs 44 minutes Contribute to this page He laughs. Avril Lavigne Wore a Post-Breakup Statement Tee at Paris Fashion Week, Zendayas Butterfly Bob Is Springs Biggest Haircut, Gisele Bndchen Models Sheer Chic in Florida, Paris Hilton Wondered If She Was Asexual Until Meeting Husband Carter Reum, Penn Badgley Said His Relationship With Blake Lively Saved Him From a Dark Road, Naked Alison Brie Is the Best Cure for Stress, Penn Badgley Loves His Wife Too Much to Do Sex Scenes in. Does he own a gun? Even when we stopped shooting new investigations, MSNBC ran the old ones. Can you believe it?" Dumb. Dianna softened. And then youve got to make the decision of whether to air it. After cutting away to another man's story, Dateline shows Todd outside the house as cops rush up to him, shouting that he should throw himself to the ground. Now, the decoy girls have. Thats part of our protocol. To Catch a Predator Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator (2004 - 2007) is a series of hidden camera investigations by the television newsmagazine Dateline NBC devoted to the subject of identifying and detaining potential child sexual abusers who attempt to contact children over the internet. It wasnt comfortable. They played the roles and communicated with the alleged predators. 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. Chris Hansen - Host: You ask her if she does anal. | "Minors in towels. Trace Turkelson, William Copeland IV, Cody Ewing, Tracy Fisher, and Otha Smith III (Canadian County Sheriffs Office). The camera zooms in on Todd's nervous, smiling face. But she has a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old. If we find out theres potential danger, the police arrest him before he comes in we dont want a dangerous situation. The suspects are accused of sending nude photos to the decoys and describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the purported girls. The following has been edited for length and clarity. And we also have means to find out more about these people before they actually show up. Now she wasn't sure what to do. 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. Weve been absolutely transparent about our methodology who the decoys are, where the police are, etc. Until we deal with this as a society and reduce the demand, were going to have this problem. It included using a decoy house the suspects allegedly believed was the home of girls ages 14 and 15. The Addams Family was out. All movies, books and CDs with references to children were banned. From left: Jessica, Dianna and Rachel Strawder in the home they once shared with Todd. "The guilt was eating him alive. 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. It never happened," Dianna says. It said, "We're not quite sure who is more deludedFather [Johnson] or the fiance. Because despite his attempt at premarital jitters,' the fiance married him a month later anyway. The elaborate sting was a joint operation between CCSO and the nonprofit organization Safe from Online Sex Abuse (SOSA). But it is, by its very nature, a risky proposition. Anyway, the other decoys are Amanda (blonde from Georgia), Scott (guy from Flagler), and Palumbo's bottom boy (I wish they had used him more). ", The couple sought counseling from retired Episcopal priest Father R. Dean Johnson and his wife, Anna Johnson, a therapist. This led to a whole series of Dateline "To Catch A Predator" specials and a spin-off, "To Catch A Predator: The Raw Tapes", which shows . Her thoughts turned to Dateline; their lives would change dramatically when the episode aired in a few months. On the drive to Todd's apartment, Dianna listened to his side of the story. Her fianc, she learned, had been caught in a sting orchestrated by the popular Dateline: To Catch a Predator series. He would never, ever do anything bad to a child. We did, and I think we handled it fairly responsibly. We do a vast amount of research on these men: does he have a concealed weapons permit? Got this from the To Catch a Predator fandom wiki. "Um-hmm," he responds. Getting this newsit was like somebody died.". Longtime viewers of the show might remember that many of the predators were asked to bring along some Mikes Hard Lemonade, which didnt sit so well with the beverage-makers. The alleged conversations with the suspects escalated to sexually graphic conversations very quickly, the sheriffs office said. The reality is some of the people who were in the investigation were arrested in similar stings later. The cameras show a man walking up to the front door. In 2003 she left her girls with their father while she recovered in rehab. Place of birth Chris Hansen himself even said it, he said that his best decoy was Casey Mauro. A life where Todd could meet her daughters only in public and only if at least six unrelated adults were present? She adds, "I abandoned my kids once when I was addicted to drugs, but I've made a promise to myself never to do that again. He later calmed down, but he still thought that Dianna should leave Todd. His contract was not renewed in 2013, and he went on to host "Killer Instinct," a show on Investigation Discovery. Chris Hansen, the host of Crime Watch Daily.. ), When asked about the most surprising reaction he ever received from one of his predator encounters, Hansen admitted that it was recognition. "Rachel didn't say a word to me for two weeks," she says. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. Click this link for the original source of this article. Dianna Strawder had just stepped out of the shower in the early-morning darkness in July 2006 when her phone rang. Im not the moral arbiter of society. He looked cowed and broken. 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 . [The suspects] have to make the first move, then raise the specter of sex, then come to the house. One thing you see a lot about today is how difficult it is for sex offenders to find jobs and housing when they get out. It's not that I think he was trying to actually have sex with a 14-year-old girl. "I believe in him." Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. As generations of college kids graduated and watched it, they thought it was brand new. Have I done my daughters irreparable harm? Chris Hansen is doing gods work. Thats all its about. So, whats he going to do when hes a cop, when he has ultimate power over somebody? Sex crimes, said the judge, "are like a computer virus that's out there lurking in cyberspace, at home, looking for young, innocent children." "He called a few days later, and we were pretty much together after that." At that time, Hansen reported that he was commencing negotiations with various potential broadcast networks in an effort to find a media platform on which to air the footage that was shot during the Fairfield operation. This was the happiness she was holding out for? To Catch a Predator was an American news expos series that featured hidden camera investigations by the television newsmagazine program Dateline NBC. The communications included video chats, text messages, phone calls, and direct messages on social media platforms. Viewers have the satisfaction of seeing these menwho have included public officials, schoolteachers and a rabbihauled away, sometimes in handcuffs. A talented amateur artist who managed a costume shop, he'd always been wonderful with her children. Todd seemed like the furthest thing from that," she says. "You love him, and we love him.". At Jessica's school, people talked about the showbut none seemed to realize Todd's relationship to her mother. As she drove to work through the predawn streets, she dialed the Harris County jail and asked the woman at the intake desk what was going on. Trending pages Nervous Nellie/Nelly Casey Mauro Del Harvey Male HvP Decoy Emily Bicks Dani Miura Dan Schrack Lindsay Faye Wagner All items (10) # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O Can we count on your support today? Dianna had a revelation: Todd was part of her family. Decoy Highlights From To Catch a Predator - Part 1 (TCAP Compilation) 8,373 views Aug 7, 2022 Links: .more .more 178 Dislike Share Save Nathan Tagalong 9.33K subscribers 56 My excuse to. A few days after Todd's arrest, Todd's roommate and Dianna made the drive to the Harris County jail. To Catch a Predator . She gets into position, standing by the front door as a potential predator shows up at our undercover house." Dianna stared at him, tears blurring her vision. Then that changed too. So, it wasn't really entrapment. The site poked fun at Dianna. Knowing that youre behind us means so much. the decoy asks. As his car headed in the other direction on the highway, the girl called his cell phone and coaxed him back. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. 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. While reruns of To Catch a Predator still air regularly, no new episodes have been shot since 2007. This wasnt the first time my office has worked with SOSA to apprehend child predators, and I hope theyll continue to be available to assist with our child predator program in the future, said West. She had to ask herself: Who is this man I said I'd marry? Even Dianna's ex-husband had changed his mind about Todd. Its a very loyal fanbase. According to the sheriffs office, Otha Smith traveled the farthest of the five suspects, driving about five hours to meet one of the decoy actresses at a hotel. People were lured to meet with a decoy under the preten See production, box office & company info, [Chris Hansen, as he reads to Jeffrey Stacey from the chat log transcript of his conversation with the decoy], [In a high pitched Mickey Mouse sounding voice], JonTron: Top 10 Most Overrated Games of All Time. I have a hard time feeling sorry for him. But she's the GOAT decoy. I think we put it in the right context, and I hope he gets the help he needs and deserves. And it never gets tiring., 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Then, in 2006, one of those men committed suicide. 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. Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice, A nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system, Intimate portraits of people who have been touched by the criminal justice system. Asra Q. Nomani is the author of Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam. "I thought Todd was my soulmate. It was on a beach and I believe was from the New Jersey sting. A grand jury issued a harsh indictment against Todd for his actions: criminal attempt to commit child molestation and criminal attempt to commit statutory rape. Do you black out his face? The alleged conversations with the suspects escalated to sexually graphic conversations very quickly, the sheriffs office said. In October of this year, Dianna made up her mind to divorce Todd. It was the roommate of her fianc, Todd West. 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). Two, its compelling television. "I could feel them feeling sorry for me," she says. A few years earlier she'd gotten hooked on crystal meth. But this whole mess has become more trouble than it's worth.". His arresting officer, Sheriff Mike Jolley, thinks she is deceiving herself: "I've arrested a lot of men like Todd, and I don't believe it's a first time for any of them. We consult the prosecutors. Is there a fear that amping things up with television cameras will worsen the issues depression, self-harm? One, who doesnt want to go after child predators? When they drove to the movies one evening, he pulled over to cry. And it was tough. Remember that the majority of the interaction is on hidden camera. [emailprotected]. Do you wrestle with the idea that these people are sick and need treatment? Todd made her feel nurtured, something she'd rarely experienced with a man. But with the help of a new Kickstarter campaign, Hansen is hoping to change that and unleash a. Not everyone felt so generous toward Todd. Although one night, the brownies were left out overnight, and the first predator the next morning almost broke a tooth, they were so hard.. Five men in Oklahoma have been arrested after law enforcement authorities conducted a four-day sting to catch child sex predators. 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. Hear behind the scenes details and find out. She continues, "What are some of your ideas?" Todd knew he'd made a stupid mistake, he said, but it wasn't anything twisted. 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. Its the nature of the Internet the anonymity, the addictive quality, the 24/7 access. NEW EVIDENCE! Nor do they raise the issue of having sex. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. People always say, These guys should be thrown away, and I say, Some of them can be fixed. We have not invested in treatment for this like we have in alcoholism, or heroin, or cocaine. "I was trying to live normally, but I had this incredibly depressed person on my hands," says Dianna. Two hours into their trip, near the exit for the decoy house Todd had visited, she finally exploded. Johnson told Dianna, "I don't think this man has any natural propensity to be a child molester.". To Catch a Predator (2004-2007) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Cast Series Produced by Series Music by Series Film Editing by Series Sound Department Series Camera and Electrical Department See also Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs Even so, Dianna felt that Todd was falling apart. Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. Dianna stood up, hurled the phone at the window and stalked out of his sight without saying another word. 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. and nowadays, we have dozens and dozens of ways to communicate. Trace Turkelson, William Copeland IV, Cody Ewing, Tracy Fisher, and Otha Smith III (Canadian County Sheriffs Office). 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 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.. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. With the visitor's phone held tightly in her hand, she asked him the question that had been gnawing at her: "How old did she say she was?" Chris talks with Casey Mauro, who was the decoy actress in the Dateline NBC To Catch A Predator investigation episodes in New Jersey and Kentucky. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York Law School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment law. Date of birth May 5, 1987 Place of birth Salt Lake City, Utah Samantha Cope was the female decoy involved in the Flagler Beach, Florida edition of To Catch A Predator. Based on what we found in tonight's investigation, that's an apt . "I believe that people should be able to redeem themselves.". Authorities say that SOSA provided the operation with two female actresses who acted as bait. Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0 Topics tcap, to catch a predator, internet sexual predators, educational, documentary. Snoo_85712. Many in the medical community argue that people with sexual proclivities toward youth have a disorder. Absolutely. Because the decoys never make the first move. Author: Jerry Lambe. And he was on the waiting list to become a cop. The decoy never makes the first move. Home. He worked for a cable company, so he was in people's houses every day. I think it would be socially irresponsible and somewhat dangerous. There are a lot of frogs who will not turn into princes. We learned about the online watchdog group, Perverted Justice, and I figured if we could combine their talent posting as decoys with our hidden camera technology, it could be pretty compelling. That's about as far as Todd gets. We rarely will engage with a teenager who is hitting on a 13 or 14 year-old. And she's an anti-vaxxer. 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.". He mentioned suicide. Biographical information "Fourteen," he admitted, his voice cracking. To this day, Dianna believes Todd's story. 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. People were lured to meet with a decoy under the preten Read all. "The whole world was going to think my girls had a creep for a stepdad. On her weekly two-hour drives to the prison, Dianna would be greeted by an increasingly fragile and withdrawn Todd. she exclaimed. "Can't we appeal?" I dont think so. When asked about how the series came about, Hansen explained that, The idea grew out of a conversation I had years ago, with a fellow reporter, a friend of mine. Maybe he was the man she'd fallen in love with after all. Is he former military? But another memory kept surfacing too. Of course, you dont want anybody to hurt themselves. Privacy Policy. Others might argue otherwise, but I think its justifiable. According to a news release from the Canadian County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), the five suspects taken into custody include Trace Turkelson, 22, of Elgin; Cody Ewing, 27, of Yukon; Tracy Fisher, 41, of Tulsa; William Copeland IV, 29, of Calhan, CO; and Otha Smith . He burst into tears. "If they put this partthe part where the family has to clean up the messin the TV show, I don't think the ratings would be nearly as high," Dianna says. This wasnt the first time my office has worked with SOSA to apprehend child predators, and I hope theyll continue to be available to assist with our child predator program in the future, said West. In the hallway she heard teachers whisper about the episode, saying, "One of guys even had a fiance! 2020 Election Night Video Shows Ballot Shredding! Have a tip or story idea? Ad Choices. He knew hed face 10 years in prison for each image. People were lured to meet with a decoy under the pretense of sexual contact and then . 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.

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