This is BS

[Brandwin]

26 June 2008 10:38 AM, PDT

NBC has removed all reference to NBC Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" sting in Murphy, TX during which Louis Conradt Jr., an assistant county prosecutor, shot and killed himself after police arrived at his house, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Thursday). On Wednesday, the newspaper said that the network had reached a settlement in a $105-million lawsuit filed by Conradt's sister. Details of the settlement were not disclosed, but it was presumed that the removal of the "Predator" report from the NBC site was included in it. Other deleted material included a response to an investigation of the incident by ABC's 20/20 and a statement about the suicide written by Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen. The material remains available on other websites.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/news/ns0000003/#ni0252360

[Brandon13]

Re: This is BS

Here's a more complete article:

NBC has settled a lawsuit filed by the family of a man who killed himself when confronted with cameras for the documentary series “To Catch a Predator.”

The family of Louis W. Conradt Jr. filed a $105 million lawsuit last year against NBC, which ran the “Predator” episode as part of its “Dateline NBC” newsmagazine series. The network refused to disclose the amount it paid to the family.

“The matter has been amicably resolved to the satisfaction of both parties,” an NBC spokeswoman, Jenny Tartikoff, said in a statement.

The lawsuit spotlighted the techniques used by the hidden-camera program to attract men online by having someone pose as an under-age girl in a chat room, then luring them to a house where they were confronted by a camera crew and host. While “To Catch a Predator” drew high ratings for NBC, ethical questions were raised over the program’s all-access arrangements with the local police and an online watchdog group.

The rest of the article is here.

I didn't know they could arrest a person if they didn't show up to the house.

[fistofrage]

Re: This is BS

Sounds like a good life insurance policy. Touch kids, get caught, commit suicide, your family is set for life.

[plasticbeast]

Re: This is BS

I never saw the show. but...
I mean I am all for catching these sick ****s and putting them behind bars, but at the same time it could be done a little better than having it all shown on tv. It was probably just a matter of time before something like this happened. Leave that stuff to the authorities, it didn't need to be a show on tv. We need to educate parents on how these criminals seduce kids. They should be giving pointers and ideas to keep your kids safe and the like. Not doing sting operations to catch them for ratings.

[The Chef]

Re: This is BS

I never saw the show. but...
I mean I am all for catching these sick ****s and putting them behind bars, but at the same time it could be done a little better than having it all shown on tv. It was probably just a matter of time before something like this happened. Leave that stuff to the authorities, it didn't need to be a show on tv. We need to educate parents on how these criminals seduce kids. They should be giving pointers and ideas to keep your kids safe and the like. Not doing sting operations to catch them for ratings.

Well since you havent seen the show then you obviously missed this episode. For starters, the judgement is pure bull****, maybe the guy should have worried about not trying to pick up underage boys on the internet, if he had then this would have never happened in the first place. Secondly, the sister is a joke and I hope she gets robbed of everything she owns right after she gets her payday, trying to make a buck off the back of the scum of her brother is pathetic.

Now in terms of that episode, Dateline was barely involved, Chris Hansen stood across the street from the house while the authorities did handle it, NBC and Dateline werent in the house at all. When the police couldnt get him to answer the door they used force to enter, the guy shot himself in the hallway when he saw them break the door down, he was a government employee and I guess this was the best solution, or so he thought. What I dont get, is how Dateline was held responsible for his death when it was clearly because of the cops busting the door in, sure Dateline did the sting but its ridiculous to think that we should wait for these people to commit the crime before doing anything, try explaining that one to the kids that have been victims. I commend Dateline for what they do and Chris Hanson as well since all it takes is one pedo to realize he is screwed, get angry and attack Hanson as well, they do something the local police cant do.

To address another comment, there are some states where simply soliciting a minor for any sexual act over the internet is a crime, not every state is like that though, and thats why you see the stings in the same few states, ie. Florida, Texas etc. Lastly, this entire thing makes no sense, so what if the cops go to pick up a suspect in a murder and when they arrive he kills himself? Can his family sue the PD because they placed him under mental distress and win? What a joke the judicial system is.

[Bighoff]

Re: This is BS

The fact this woman got any money from this is a joke. Her brother killed himself rather then go through the legal system, no one's at fault for the situation he was in except for him.

[luv_mist]

Re: This is BS

I think this was in Texas too where they are so strict with child porn.

[Bahnzo]

Re: This is BS

I never saw the show. but...
I mean I am all for catching these sick ****s and putting them behind bars, but at the same time it could be done a little better than having it all shown on tv. It was probably just a matter of time before something like this happened. Leave that stuff to the authorities, it didn't need to be a show on tv. We need to educate parents on how these criminals seduce kids. They should be giving pointers and ideas to keep your kids safe and the like. Not doing sting operations to catch them for ratings.

100% agreed.

I'm really disturbed by this "Catch a Predator" show. For one, it seems like entrapment to me. I'm all for putting child molesters away for a long, long time, but this doesn't seem like the way it should be done. And then add to that NBC filming it and airing it on TV and I'm very against this. It's going too far and I can't believe NBC is allowed to do this. And in effect, no crime has been committed either.

[Scott]

Re: This is BS

The sad thing is I'm only like an hour from where this happened.

[MassNole]

Re: This is BS

Why the hell did NBC settle this?

[The Chef]

Re: This is BS

100% agreed.

I'm really disturbed by this "Catch a Predator" show. For one, it seems like entrapment to me. I'm all for putting child molesters away for a long, long time, but this doesn't seem like the way it should be done. And then add to that NBC filming it and airing it on TV and I'm very against this. It's going too far and I can't believe NBC is allowed to do this. And in effect, no crime has been committed either.

Couple things that maybe you arent aware of...

1. In some states it is against the law to solicit sex from a minor over the internet, so even if they didnt show up, they still broke the law. So when you said that no crime has been committed, thats not true, its against the law to solicit it, showing up is purely the icing on the cake and makes it much easier to arrest them.

2. Its not entrapment, the perverted justice people arent seeking these men and then leading them on just so they can arrest them. They go into underage chat rooms, make screen names that make it obvious they are underage and then wait for the men to start talking to them. If you have seen the show, they will have a normal conversation with the guy, if he never persues anything then they move on, but the moment the guy does then they set up the meeting and arrest the sick bastard.

3. Whats wrong with NBC broadcasting it? If certain states can force sex offenders to paint it on their car for all to see, why cant NBC air them on television for all to see? Maybe public embarassment is exactly what they need to see what they are doing is wrong. Since when, as a country, are we more concerned with the rights of a pedophile then the kids who are the victims? Its not entrapment, the guys are sick ****s and NBC is merely bringing the perverted justice operation to the public, if it wasnt for NBC, these stings would still be going on just not on television.

[auburntigersfan]

Re: This is BS

I think this was in Texas too where they are so strict with child porn.

yea, up where I live in Oklahoma they could care less if you were a preying on children.

[plasticbeast]

Re: This is BS

Well since you havent seen the show then you obviously missed this episode. For starters, the judgement is pure bull****, maybe the guy should have worried about not trying to pick up underage boys on the internet, if he had then this would have never happened in the first place. Secondly, the sister is a joke and I hope she gets robbed of everything she owns right after she gets her payday, trying to make a buck off the back of the scum of her brother is pathetic.

Now in terms of that episode, Dateline was barely involved, Chris Hansen stood across the street from the house while the authorities did handle it, NBC and Dateline werent in the house at all. When the police couldnt get him to answer the door they used force to enter, the guy shot himself in the hallway when he saw them break the door down, he was a government employee and I guess this was the best solution, or so he thought. What I dont get, is how Dateline was held responsible for his death when it was clearly because of the cops busting the door in, sure Dateline did the sting but its ridiculous to think that we should wait for these people to commit the crime before doing anything, try explaining that one to the kids that have been victims. I commend Dateline for what they do and Chris Hanson as well since all it takes is one pedo to realize he is screwed, get angry and attack Hanson as well, they do something the local police cant do.

To address another comment, there are some states where simply soliciting a minor for any sexual act over the internet is a crime, not every state is like that though, and thats why you see the stings in the same few states, ie. Florida, Texas etc. Lastly, this entire thing makes no sense, so what if the cops go to pick up a suspect in a murder and when they arrive he kills himself? Can his family sue the PD because they placed him under mental distress and win? What a joke the judicial system is.

Yep I had never seen the show, and from what I was reading it seemed like the authorities were almost an after thought on this show. Which in reading your response it seems I was wrong.

In your last paragraph, where you talk about the PD and murderer who kills himself. It is different I feel because the Police don't film the whole case and the arrest to be shown on National prime-time TV. If they did do that, I am sure someones family would sue eventually. Just like it happened here.

I just think that stuff doesn't need to be shown on TV. Arrest the bastards for sure! But it doesn't need to be televised on a news program.

[Rainey]

Re: This is BS

NBC should have offered to settle the case for $1 dollar for the bullet the guy wasted, since that was what the guy's life was worth.

[ManiacMatt1782]

Re: This is BS

Couple things that maybe you arent aware of...

1. In some states it is against the law to solicit sex from a minor over the internet, so even if they didnt show up, they still broke the law. So when you said that no crime has been committed, thats not true, its against the law to solicit it, showing up is purely the icing on the cake and makes it much easier to arrest them.

2. Its not entrapment, the perverted justice people arent seeking these men and then leading them on just so they can arrest them. They go into underage chat rooms, make screen names that make it obvious they are underage and then wait for the men to start talking to them. If you have seen the show, they will have a normal conversation with the guy, if he never persues anything then they move on, but the moment the guy does then they set up the meeting and arrest the sick bastard.

3. Whats wrong with NBC broadcasting it? If certain states can force sex offenders to paint it on their car for all to see, why cant NBC air them on television for all to see? Maybe public embarassment is exactly what they need to see what they are doing is wrong. Since when, as a country, are we more concerned with the rights of a pedophile then the kids who are the victims? Its not entrapment, the guys are sick ****s and NBC is merely bringing the perverted justice operation to the public, if it wasnt for NBC, these stings would still be going on just not on television.

Ladies and gentleman i think we have a winner!!!