I just found out tonight that Dateline NBC was right here in my back yard filming its series To Catch A Predator, The Episode is called The scariest potential predator. I don't know when, but judging from the wreath on the door of the decoy home they used (that I recognized) it was around the Christmas Holidays. I'm surprised it wasn't in the paper or on the news, if it was neither Steve nor I heard about it. They arrested 21 men in their combined operation with PervertedJustice.com and The Flagler County Police Department, one man was a police officer from Alabama! <Little side note, when you click on the Dateline NBC link there is a interesting story about web scammers.>
This all began when a Officer from the Flagler PD began his own test online to see if what he was hearing was true. He made up a fake online profile pretending to be a young teen girl. He entered a local chat room and said within a few minutes he was being hit by emails and instant messages from older men. He asked his Chief if he could contact Dateline. His Chief requested the Office contact other agencies first and make sure they were happy with the results. The agencies the Officer contacted were in fact pleased so the Chief agreed with the Officer.
If you are not familiar with the series, it goes like this: PervertedJustice.com goes online and pretends to be young teens, they work in conjunction with police departments around the country to catch older men trying to have sex with underage children. They log the chat between them and the person they are talking to, save the photos that are sent. In some cases if a meeting is arranged it is the police that will show up, not the person at the keyboard. Dateline NBC and PervertedJustice.com have been traveling around the country for a couple years now luring in perverts just like this with the local Police Department standing by to arrest the sicko when they leave the house.
You can watch the entire episode by clicking on these links in sequence:
• 1: The simultaneous interview
• 3: More men arrive at the house
Let me know what you think.
Thanks to the Codgers for the graphic!
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