Thanks to Kickstarter, Chris Hansen's Online Predator Stings Are Back

[Leg End]

According to a report published by the New Republic [http://www.newrepublic.com/article/123138/chris-hansen-back-catching-predators], Hansen first called up the Fairfield police department in mid-August, informing them that he would be setting up a sex sting not unlike the ones he became famous for on NBC, with the lone exception being that neither NBC nor any major network would be involved this time around. It was not a request, but more a warning, and the Fairfield police department was pretty much powerless to prevent Hansen from moving forward with his operation. Ultimately, Fairfield's deputy police chief, Christopher Lyddy, decided that his department's involvement would ensure that these stings went off as smoothly as planned and agreed to lend assistance.

"We thought long and hard about this," said Lyddy, "but at the end of the day we completely understood that this was going to happen no matter what, and that we really had a responsibility to become involved and to ensure this neighborhood was safe."

So, like the first time around, he's wasting police resources for fame.

Given the salacious and exploitative nature of Hansen's stings, there have obviously been a few naysayers who argue that shows like To Catch a Predator are doing more harm than good. Among the accusations leveled at Hansen is the belief that, "by subjecting the merely accused to the potential of mass humiliation, the show neglects the common notion of innocent until proven guilty." Many of these concerns seem rooted in the particularly grisly case of Louis Conradt Jr., an assistant district attorney in Murphy, Texas who shot himself during a confrontation with SWAT while Hansen's crew waited outside his home. Conradt's family later received an undisclosed sum from NBC to settle a wrongful death suit against the network.

I actually remember even Law and Order SVU had an episode about it that surprisingly showed the realities and background of how this ends up working.

But according to Hansen, the risk is worth the reward

Says the guy taking no risks.

-- the reward being that potentially dangerous predators are being taken off the streets. "As Fairfield demonstrated, this is still very much a huge issue," said Hansen. "We just made that the safest neighborhood in America."

Hanson cannot into crime statistics.
So, he's basically set up the same thing as last time sans probably Perverted Justice and this time he doesn't have a sufficient legal team to defend himself from the inevitable lawsuits and everyone he catches already has a grand defense in court for entrapment. On another note, jesus he has not aged well.

The only thing funnier than this show was the episode of South Park that referenced it.

 

[HomuraDidNothinWrong]

According to a report published by the New Republic [http://www.newrepublic.com/article/123138/chris-hansen-back-catching-predators], Hansen first called up the Fairfield police department in mid-August, informing them that he would be setting up a sex sting not unlike the ones he became famous for on NBC, with the lone exception being that neither NBC nor any major network would be involved this time around. It was not a request, but more a warning, and the Fairfield police department was pretty much powerless to prevent Hansen from moving forward with his operation. Ultimately, Fairfield's deputy police chief, Christopher Lyddy, decided that his department's involvement would ensure that these stings went off as smoothly as planned and agreed to lend assistance.

"We thought long and hard about this," said Lyddy, "but at the end of the day we completely understood that this was going to happen no matter what, and that we really had a responsibility to become involved and to ensure this neighborhood was safe."

So, like the first time around, he's wasting police resources for fame.

Given the salacious and exploitative nature of Hansen's stings, there have obviously been a few naysayers who argue that shows like To Catch a Predator are doing more harm than good. Among the accusations leveled at Hansen is the belief that, "by subjecting the merely accused to the potential of mass humiliation, the show neglects the common notion of innocent until proven guilty." Many of these concerns seem rooted in the particularly grisly case of Louis Conradt Jr., an assistant district attorney in Murphy, Texas who shot himself during a confrontation with SWAT while Hansen's crew waited outside his home. Conradt's family later received an undisclosed sum from NBC to settle a wrongful death suit against the network.

I actually remember even Law and Order SVU had an episode about it that surprisingly showed the realities and background of how this ends up working.

But according to Hansen, the risk is worth the reward

Says the guy taking no risks.

-- the reward being that potentially dangerous predators are being taken off the streets. "As Fairfield demonstrated, this is still very much a huge issue," said Hansen. "We just made that the safest neighborhood in America."

Hanson cannot into crime statistics.
So, he's basically set up the same thing as last time sans probably Perverted Justice and this time he doesn't have a sufficient legal team to defend himself from the inevitable lawsuits and everyone he catches already has a grand defense in court for entrapment. On another note, jesus he has not aged well.

The only thing funnier than this show was the episode of South Park that referenced it.

Considering that the psychotic (literal) in charge of perverted justice is now busy shitting up Twitter, I highly doubt Hansen can get them to fabricate evidence this time around.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

All ethics aside, I'm surprised they wanted the show back. It was kind of the same thing after a while.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Wait, fabricated evidence? I thought the whole point of the series was posing as a child and finding people who express an interest in fucking them. And it all plays out on camera. How do you fabricate that?

 

[Kameburger]

I think A few people have have kind of expressed my opinion here, but this concept does leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth... Honestly tempting people with problems into traps and publicly shaming them without letting them have their due process is a bit off putting. I mean it's the worst kind of crime so its difficult to be to mad about anything, but at the same time its the most heavy handed accusation that it ruins lives even if it turns out to be just false.

I know there is really never a good time to say, "I know they're pedophiles but..." however that's why we have laws and that's why on principle we assume innocence until guilt can be proven.

 

[Azure23]

I'm entirely unwilling to defend the sort of people who he profiles and entraps on his show. I know too many survivors to have any sort of sympathy due to the public shame and legal consequences that these men are put through as a result of Hansen's show. I have firsthand perspective on what they put their victims through. However there is a distinction of some importance between a pedophile and child molester. A pedophile has resources to help them, no matter how society has stigmatized their condition, they can get help. They can be voluntarily monitored, they can have a social worker assigned to them, they can attend support meetings. There are numerous pedophiles who would rather practice celibacy than rape, the people on Hansen's show are not like this. These are people who have made plans to rape a minor and attempted to carry them out, these plans are documented. These people are child molesters or attempted child molestors. And of the various criticisms that you could realistically level at Hansen's peculiar brand of vigilantism, the veracity of these people's crimes is not one. They ARE given due process after the tapes stop rolling, but you can bet your ass they'll be found guilty, because the evidence is incontrovertible. If you have a problem with a civilian performing these sorts of stings, that's one thing, but these tactics (the cyber fishing, not Hansen's whole dog and pony show afterward) are used at the federal level to investigate and break up child pornagraphy rings.

 

[Azure23]

All ethics aside, I'm surprised they wanted the show back. It was kind of the same thing after a while.

This was the most puzzling thing to me too. I mean it's by nature very formulaic. I never watched it when it was on because I tend to stay away from stuff that I know will actively infuriate me, but from what people have told me it followed a pretty basic setup, breakdown of the fake bait profile, show some responses, investigation, the sit down, then police custody.

I always had the sneaking suspicion that people were watching in case someone did something desperate and dangerous. Kinda like how people watch Nascar for the crashes.

 

[BeerTent]

Wow...

Just...

The fact that was ever on the air in the first place is just...

Wow...

Shit like this, is why I don't watch TV. Jesus tap-dancing fucking christ, Americans.

 

[Lightknight]

How Chris hasn't been harmed has always shocked me. Surely there is some sort of overlap between pedophiles and gun carriers... I hope they keep him safe.

Wow...

Just...

The fact that was ever on the air in the first place is just...

Wow...

Shit like this, is why I don't watch TV. Jesus tap-dancing fucking christ, Americans.

Not seeing the show doesn't mean this sort of thing isn't happening wherever you are. This informed the public of an actual threat.

 

[happyninja42]

The only thing funnier than this show was the episode of South Park that referenced it.

What did they say about the show? I don't watch south park.

 

[BeerTent]

How Chris hasn't been harmed has always shocked me. Surely there is some sort of overlap between pedophiles and gun carriers... I hope they keep him safe.

Wow...

Just...

The fact that was ever on the air in the first place is just...

Wow...

Shit like this, is why I don't watch TV. Jesus tap-dancing fucking christ, Americans.

Not seeing the show doesn't mean this sort of thing isn't happening wherever you are. This informed the public of an actual threat.

You would need to be pretty ignorant if you didn't think that child molestation happens worldwide.

Making money, however, by ignoring established human rights, and destroying any possible chance of rehabilitation while mocking your own countries CJS? The perversion of making this some kind of dull entertainment? That's the part that disgusts me.

Leave this shit to professionals. Not some backwards shitcannon with a camera crew and a lust for money.

 

[Lightknight]

How Chris hasn't been harmed has always shocked me. Surely there is some sort of overlap between pedophiles and gun carriers... I hope they keep him safe.

Wow...

Just...

The fact that was ever on the air in the first place is just...

Wow...

Shit like this, is why I don't watch TV. Jesus tap-dancing fucking christ, Americans.

Not seeing the show doesn't mean this sort of thing isn't happening wherever you are. This informed the public of an actual threat.

You would need to be pretty ignorant if you didn't think that child molestation happens worldwide.

Making money, however, by ignoring established human rights, and destroying any possible chance of rehabilitation while mocking your own countries CJS? The perversion of making this some kind of dull entertainment? That's the part that disgusts me.

Leave this shit to professionals. Not some backwards shitcannon with a camera crew and a lust for money.

Who cares? They're pedophiles being caught red handed.

What's more is they actually sign away the rights to be depicted in the video on TV willingly. They're also working hand in hand with law enforcement the whole way.

So who are you actually defending here? Caught-in-the-act pedophiles? And why? Because of a TV show making a living off of catching them on camera?

Look, the shows don't just shame these nutters, they also inform parents on the tactics these people use and also on how common they are. But if you think these people need to be protected then your priorities are all messed up here.

Why not bring the stocks out while you at it? If you pay five dollars digitally they throw any kind of fruit or vegetable in their face, ten dollars for a football or soccer ball to be knocked into their face, and a hundred dollars to have a professional pitchers throw one right in the noggin. And it'll be broadcasted on a premium cable among the likes of HBO. And we'll sell live audience seats. A guy walks in and bam, 50,000 people in the living room. I mean fuck fair and even-handedness, whats this "justice" garbage getting in the way of the justice system?

I've never had a high opinion of this dog and pony show shit. Some things simply should not be for profit and the government's side of the justice system is one of them.

Pedophiles. Caught. In the act.

Maybe pick a different group of people to protect here? As near as I can tell, the show isn't doing anything differently than Cops. It's just capturing normal legal processes taking place with the small addition of interviewing the individual. I'm not sure what you think is happening to impact the law. Maybe these people shouldn't try to fuck children.

Having video of a crime being committed isn't an affront to "innocent until proven guilty". It is literally the proof itself.

 

[RJ 17]

The only thing funnier than this show was the episode of South Park that referenced it.

What did they say about the show? I don't watch south park.

Basically that Chris Hansen has some sort of hypnotic power. When he says the phrase "Why don't you take a seat right over there" you must do as he asks.

The episode isn't specifically about pedophiles, basically Cartmen discovers the existence of Tourettes Syndrome which he perceives as a golden ticket to be as foul mouthed, offensive, and obnoxious as he wants in public and then just say "I've got Tourettes so you can't get mad at me." He's all set up to do an interview with Hansen about Tourettes, but then he actually develops it in the form of just blurting out very embarrassing secrets about himself. He wants to call it off, but Hansen uses his mystical hypnotic powers to essentially force Cartmen to do the show...much like what Hansen apparently did to the police department in this article, actually.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Ah, turning sting operation into a tv show for entertainment.
Ruining lives on camera.
Kinda gross.

I don't care if they "deserved it", running man should remain fiction.
Have you learned nothing from monetizing imprisonment via privatized prisons?
Why, then, do you think mixing show biz and legal persecution is a good idea? It's not. It's gross.

Amen to that!

Up in Quebec, we've only just started our own run of Cops-like shows or similar concepts focused on the fire departments. We have an ongoing series-slash-documentary on the lives and times of Montreal's meter maids - which involves countless instances of folks being humiliated onscreen for parking at the wrong place in the wrong time - and we have our take on "Catfish", where online dating is played for shock value.

I mean, how much more does the public need? We already have public court cases, we already put ignorance and stupidity on pedestals for the sake of ratings or audience numbers - what else is there to do?

This is essentially why my parents are the only ones who use the cable subscription we share. I feel like watching something? Then I tend to nab a documentary online or find a movie or TV series that interests me. Primetime TV is just so goddamn depressing, sometimes.

Captcha: "Do you love me?"
Sorry Captcha, I'm a happy bachelor.

 

[Lightknight]

Pedophiles. Caught. In the act.

Yes, and we have something to deal with that if such a case arises. Its called a "trial". The police bring the accused into custody and put them on trial in front of a jury of their peers.

The media should not be a part of the justice system. Justice is cold and dispassionate yet fair and even-handed. Anything less isn't justice. Broadcasting them on national television for entertainment purposes isn't justice, its revenge.

Tell you what, you find me where this is located in the constitution that the press cannot be involved in justice and I'll recant. Maybe you could express specific laws or rights that are actually being violated.

But the media in this example are literally acquiring evidence in a sting operation. It's like sending a person with a wire into a drug den to gather information only this time the person with a wire is Chris Hansen and the criminals are coming to him. Kudos to them for the public service they are performing.

 

[BeerTent]

How Chris hasn't been harmed has always shocked me. Surely there is some sort of overlap between pedophiles and gun carriers... I hope they keep him safe.

Wow...

Just...

The fact that was ever on the air in the first place is just...

Wow...

Shit like this, is why I don't watch TV. Jesus tap-dancing fucking christ, Americans.

Not seeing the show doesn't mean this sort of thing isn't happening wherever you are. This informed the public of an actual threat.

You would need to be pretty ignorant if you didn't think that child molestation happens worldwide.

Making money, however, by ignoring established human rights, and destroying any possible chance of rehabilitation while mocking your own countries CJS? The perversion of making this some kind of dull entertainment? That's the part that disgusts me.

Leave this shit to professionals. Not some backwards shitcannon with a camera crew and a lust for money.

Who cares? They're pedophiles being caught red handed.

What's more is they actually sign away the rights to be depicted in the video on TV willingly. They're also working hand in hand with law enforcement the whole way.

So who are you actually defending here? Caught-in-the-act pedophiles? And why? Because of a TV show making a living off of catching them on camera?

Look, the shows don't just shame these nutters, they also inform parents on the tactics these people use and also on how common they are. But if you think these people need to be protected then your priorities are all messed up here.

Why not bring the stocks out while you at it? If you pay five dollars digitally they throw any kind of fruit or vegetable in their face, ten dollars for a football or soccer ball to be knocked into their face, and a hundred dollars to have a professional pitchers throw one right in the noggin. And it'll be broadcasted on a premium cable among the likes of HBO. And we'll sell live audience seats. A guy walks in and bam, 50,000 people in the living room. I mean fuck fair and even-handedness, whats this "justice" garbage getting in the way of the justice system?

I've never had a high opinion of this dog and pony show shit. Some things simply should not be for profit and the government's side of the justice system is one of them.

Pedophiles. Caught. In the act.

Maybe pick a different group of people to protect here? As near as I can tell, the show isn't doing anything differently than Cops. It's just capturing normal legal processes taking place with the small addition of interviewing the individual. I'm not sure what you think is happening to impact the law. Maybe these people shouldn't try to fuck children.

Having video of a crime being committed isn't an affront to "innocent until proven guilty". It is literally the proof itself.

Law doesnt pick and choose who it protects. It protects all equally.

Regardless of who these people are, pedophiles, murderers, scammers, etc... Its not right to publically shame them on national TV. Posting evidence on TV IS affront to "innocent until proven guilty" because in Canadian, and American criminal justice, its not the job of the citizen to lay judgement. This is why we have hearings, juries, justices and court, why we keep bias out of court, and why we keep our traps shut and our posture neutral.

We shouldnt be sensationalizing anyone on either side. We shouldnt condone this sad style of vigilantism. Yeah, we have 15 episodes that, quite likely, just barely, leads to any conviction, but how many episodes are not aired? Where it's thrown out of court because the man is running a damn show purely for entertainment?

You want it to be educational? Interview professionals who don't mock the CJS, who don't sensationalize and encourage the average idiot to get in the way. People who do this as a job, and dont shove their face in front of a camera screaming, "Look! Look at me! Be entertained while you question if any of this is real or not!"

Sorry for potato quality post, got a lot of time and just a smartphone.