Main Argument/Conclusions

Criticizing the "Predator" series may expose one to accusations of siding with or protecting the scuzzy men caught up in the stings. But the ethical questions raised by the show are simply too pressing to ignore. It's important to point out - and 15 minutes of browsing the chatlogs on Perverted-Justice.com will prove it - the decoys are often quite aggressive, and often quite vulgar. The men sometimes express doubt about the relationship given the age difference, but decoys are adept at dismissing their concerns and egging them on with provocative comments and gentle coaxing.

The decoys flirt heavily with the men, and since in many states it is a crime to demonstrate intent to solicit sex from a minor, chatting is enough to land someone in jail regardless of whether the minor is an active and willing participant.₁ If the conduct of these lewd and pugnacious decoys is not entrapment, it is at least unethical. Check out this chatlog between johnchess2000, the target, and AJ's Girl, an underage decoy, who has agreed to have him over to watch a movie:

johnchess2000: anything you want me to wear or bring?
AJ's Girl: hmmm
johnchess2000: wow your thinking for a long time
AJ's Girl: lol sowwy
AJ's Girl: you beter bring condoms
johnchess2000: wow. condoms??
johnchess2000: wow. your thinking big huh?


Mugshots of men nabbed in the "Predator" stings


McCollam accuses Dateline of skewing reality by devoting hour after hour to the problem of Internet sex predation - a crime that many experts say is not nearly as commonplace as the show makes it seem. Polls show young people are quite savvy in their use of the Internet and are aware of online dangers. A poll from January found 18-24 year-olds to be more cautious than their older counterparts regarding use of the Internet. The majority of teens only include their first names in their online public profiles, and they are careful not to include information like last names or phone numbers that could help someone identify them. Across the board - from email access to the use of social networking sites like MySpace - according to 18-24 year-olds, children should wait considerably longer to use the Internet. The poll also showed that the Internet is not considered a good place to meet someone by any of the age groups polled.₁₅

McCollam explains NBC's fascination with the topic of Internet sex predators this way: "Reality TV has so altered the broadcast landscape that traditional newsmagazine fare - no matter how provocative - just doesn't cut it anymore."₁ NBC's winning "Predator" formula has given Dateline the ratings to compete with the wildly popular reality shows like American Idol and Survivor, among many others.

The goal of Dateline NBC, like any other corporate media outlet, is to garner high ratings, which translate into advertising revenue for the network and satisfaction among shareholders. While NBC insists it is undertaking the "Predator" series in the interest of public service, it is not unreasonable to assume the show's success, or the network's bottom line is the real reason for the series' continued existence. Surely, if viewers switched the channel and ratings for "Predator" suddenly dropped, NBC would likely abandon its humanitarian mission to save the children in favor of a more lucrative project. After 10 installments of the repetitive "Predator" show, the network can't possibly claim they are revisiting the topic for the good of society, rather than for the ratings. After one or two episodes of "Predator," audiences knew exactly what to expect, so there was little for them to learn and certainly no legitimate news value. But NBC rehashed the show over and over again precisely because of its financial success - the root of which being the show's play to our morbid fascination with public humiliation. Though there is no longer any news value, the "Predator" series allows audiences to leer and jeer at suspected perverts, who are judged guilty in the court of public opinion long before they set foot in a court room.

Hansen in action

Furthermore, NBC's collaboration with PeeJ is something that cannot be overlooked in evaluating the ethics of the "Predator" series. PeeJ's practice of contacting the employer, family and friends of a suspected online predator and papering his neighborhood with fliers labeling him a pedophile, could easily be considered a privacy invasion. Though the target's acquaintances have done nothing wrong beyond their association with a suspected sexual creep, their personal information, including names and addresses are posted on the PeeJ website so volunteers can contact them. It is reasonable to conclude, therefore, the families of the suspected predators suffer emotional harm as a result of the suspect's exposure on the website or worse, on national television.

While law enforcement is entitled to conduct undercover sting operations to nab bad guys, news networks should be much more reluctant to deceive. In an age of fierce competition for media consumers, if NBC is going to continue to be taken seriously as a newsgathering agency, I think the network should be much more concerned about upholding journalistic standards. The ethical questions surrounding the "Predator" series - allegations of checkbook journalism, creating a story, cooperating too closely with police and entrapment - are legitimate, despite NBC's claims of public service.

A cartoon from the Mark Foley scandal

Finally, I don't think public humiliation stings like "Predator" are going to serve as an effective deterrent for child sex predators, just as the death penalty has not been a deterrent for murderers. Online sex predators do what they do because they are sick and compulsive. No deterrent, unless it is intensive psychotherapy, is likely to sway hard-core predators from seeking children online.