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Dateline's To Catch a Predator: Helpful service or illegal entrapment?

Results so far:

Illegal
28% 128 votes Total: 459 votes
Helpful
72% 331 votes

The Internet can be a wonderful thing. One can work and do research, play games, catch up with old friends and meet new ones from other states and countries from across the globe. Many sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Livejournal and Teen Matchmaker allow people young and old to get together, chat and have a good time.

Unfortunately, just as when you go out to the bars, clubs and even the shopping mall, there are those out there that seek to exploit this form of (what should be) fun. Like in real life, most people you meet on the Internet are good, honest hard-working men and women and fun-loving young kids who just want to relax after a long day at work or school and just have some fun. Yet there are those out there that prey on these individuals selfishly by luring them away from their safe-haven to exploit them.

Take Justin Williams, a 24-year-old Navy Officer. He had sworn an oath to protect our country by sea from those that wish to harm our citizens and destroy our freedoms as well as those of our allies. But he had broken this oath when he went online with full intentions on seducing a 14-year-old girl. They had talked and they agreed to meet up at her home. He actually had driven from his Rhode Island home to Connecticut, stopping along the way to buy condoms.

Fortunately, this was fully staged as that there was no real 14-year-old girl and officers were waiting at the home to arrest him. He is currently being held at a $100,000 bond. The purchase of the condoms had shown fully his intentions with what he had believed to be a minor.

He was not on Dateline's To Catch a Predator, but this is what the show is all about. They have specially trained people who join MySpace and various chat room programs. They do not single anyone out. The predators go to them. Like the children caught in these crimes, the impersonators go to these chat rooms looking for someone to show them what sex is all about. Real kids are naive, but extremely curious. That does not mean they should be exploited and shouldn't have to live with this for the rest of their lives, but these adult men and women predators do not care and are simply looking to fulfill their own selfish and sick desires.

They are not to be pitied. They walk into these traps by full will. There are many dating sites out there they could go to, as well as singles bars or perhaps they could get their friends to hook them up. They do not choose this. Instead, they go to these chat rooms looking for a cheap thrill.

"Predator's"


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Dateline's To Catch a Predator: Helpful service or illegal entrapment?

Helpful
  • 1 of 32

    by Codi Moltrup

    The Internet can be a wonderful thing. One can work and do research, play games, catch up with old friends and meet new

    read more

  • 2 of 32

    by LaSal

    If I were to understand the 'illegal entrapment' side of this debate, it would seem that the following facts were not in

    read more

Illegal
  • 1 of 11

    by JTurner

    I'm not sure that Dateline's To Catch a Predator program is illegal, but let me tell you about why it's annoying.

    There's

    read more

  • 2 of 11

    by Michelle Ann Newton

    Not only is this sting operation iillegal, but it an outlandish disregard of the law.

    Before I voice my humble opinion here,

    read more

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