To Catch A Predator
By Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent
It’s our twelfth “To Catch A Predator” investigation and this time we’re set up in a 6,000- square foot home in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It’s a town of about 50,000 people an hour north of Nashville, Tennessee.
Each one of these investigations has its own rhythm and Kentucky is no different. Within hours I am struck by the fact that fewer men are showing up at our hidden camera house than in past investigations.
Looking back I think this at least partially because the Kentucky Attorney General’s office and the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation, along with local law enforcement, have been actively pursuing online predators in the past year.
Before Dateline’s investigation in Bowling Green, the Attorney General’s office with the help of the online watchdog group Perverted Justice had conducted two previous sting operations without us, making 20 arrests.
One of them was a 59-year old criminal justice instructor at an Ohio college who used to be an elementary school teacher. He had been chatting online about having sex with a decoy posing as a13-year-old girl before showing up to meet her at the undercover house.
Even after this earlier high-profile case, though, we still saw men in our investigation eager to meet a young teen home alone for sex. As you will see, seven men show up over three and a half days and all seven are arrested after I talk to them and they leave the house.
You’ll see in Kentucky that we employ the same online decoy, Casey, who we used in New Jersey. She is just as effective in this latest investigation as she was before talking to the men in person.
You’ll see the grooming process in real time.
Also in Kentucky we see a range of men show up, from a factory worker to a man who says he’s a police detective and carries a gun.
Watch the heart-pounding moments when, as he leaves our hidden camera house, he refuses to follow orders from the arresting officers.
'To Catch a Predator' Kentucky airs Friday, Dec. 28.
Click here for more about the series.
By Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent
The fireman
Tonight we’re back in Ocean County, N.J., for the second part of our "To Catch A Predator" investigation. Among the first men you’ll meet here is a guy who uses new ruse to convince a 14-year-old girl named Jane to let him come over to her family’s house and have sex. Jane is really a decoy from Perverted Justice.
In his online chat 42-year old Rick Burnham pretends to be a 21-year-old college student going by the screen name "uconnbluenwhite". Then he introduces "Jane" to his older friend "stevetakespix" who supposed to be a real cool guy who just happens to be interested in taking the virginity of a 14-year-old.
We think what he’s trying to do is not scare off the young teen by giving his real age in the beginning of the chat. As you watch Burnham walk into our hidden camera house, he’s just driven three hours from Connecticut. Watch as it appears he want to get right down to business. He chats with Casey, our decoy, for a bit and when she excuses herself to go to the next room, he’s right behind her. As I walk out to talk to him, we almost bump into each other.
That’s when I see something sticking out of his back pocket. When I ask him what it is, he says it’s his cell phone. I know it’s not a cell phone so I say: "No. The other back pocket." As you’re about to see, the item he pulls out leaves little doubt about his intent. Burnham, by the way, is retired fire department captain who says he’s now a freelance photographer.
Grooming technique
We’re about to see another man who makes himself comfortable on the beach of our multi-million dollar home on the ocean. James Marcott, 32, doesn’t seem one bit nervous as his sits down to talk to our decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl. Perhaps he has experience talking to teenagers.
In his on line chat he told the decoy that he had earlier met a 15-year-old girl online. Watch now as he tells Casey that not only did he met her, he also had sex with her. When I talk to Marcott, he changes his story, saying he never had sex with a 15-year-old. Why would someone say this online?
Experts tell us it’s a common grooming technique used by potential predators. Almost as if to say: "It’s ok. Other kids you age have already done this." But in this case it’s going to be another lead to be followed up on by detectives with the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.
Everyday guys
Once again, we see just how many of the guys who surface in our investigations look like everyday guys who don’t stand out of a crowd. If you live in Pennsylvania, you might have even purchased a car from one of our next visitors.
When we meet 39-year old Jeremy Keister he has a job selling luxury cars. Watch as Keister walks into our home. Something spooks him right away. He almost freezes. I think it may have been when Casey offered him some brownies that something clicked and he maybe realizes he’s just walked into a "To Catch A Predator" investigation. All doubt is removed when he admits he knows exactly who I am. He even says: "It’s nice to meet you."
Head first
You may have seen last week’s preview to tonight’s show, where we showed video of one of our visitors who went head first into the bar in the family room of our hidden camera house. People have been asking me about it all week. Tonight, you’ll see the whole story.
The man I’m talking about is 37-year-old Kazuo Akustso. When we meet him he’s a shirt-and-tie salesman at a major Manhattan department store. I have seen a lot during the three years we’ve been doing these investigations, but nothing quite like this. Kazuo walks in, chats with our decoy Casey, and then I walk out. What you don’t see on camera is that the color literally drains from his face.
I can’t be sure that he knew who I was or what he has just walked into, but he knows it’s not good. He goes down on his knees, gets back up and then apparently faints, crashing head-first into the bar. A medic comes in to check him out. Later police say he’s OK.
What were they thinking?
As we finish up in New Jersey, consider this: nearly half of the 28 men who surfaced in this investigation had seen one of our earlier investigations. What does that say to me? Some people have suggested that some of these guys want to get caught, perhaps maybe even want to be on our show. Possibly, but I still think most of these guys just really don’t think it could happen to them.
Click here for the script to "To Catch a Predator" New Jersey
By Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent
More often than not, when a potential predator shows up at one of our hidden camera houses he has no criminal history for sexual assault or soliciting a minor online for sex. But when a convicted sex offender does come over, we typically know in advance. That’s because most states have easily accessible databases where you can simply enter a name and other identifying information and if there’s a match you’ll know in seconds.
Such is the case as we continue our “To Catch A Predator” investigation in Ocean County, New Jersey. Before 36-year-old Todd Lewis even knocks on our door, we suspect that he’s the same Todd Lewis who in 2003 pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. As you’ll see, it doesn’t appear that he’s learned his lesson in the four years since.
CONTINUED >>
By Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent
These posts are meant to coincide with the broadcast.
10:03 p.m.
One of the things you may notice tonight as you watch our 11th "To Catch A Predator" investigation is how much more interaction there is between the men and the young woman we've hired to be our onsite decoy. In past investigations the young woman or young man typically invites the potential predator in, chats for a few seconds, and then disappears.
CONTINUED >>
By Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent
Our 11th computer predator investigation takes place in a multi-million dollar home on the beautiful shoreline of New Jersey. It's a picture perfect vacation spot for parents and children -- and for potential predators as well.
This particular investigation is full of firsts. We have had decoys in our hidden camera homes in previous operations greet and chat in person with our visitors, but this is the first time we were set up to capture such extensive interaction between the two. As you'll see, our onsite decoy Casey looks a lot younger than her 18 years, but don't be fooled.
She was exceptional when it came to making conversation with almost every one of the 28 men who came to our house. What makes this so revealing is that we not only see the potential predator engage in the grooming process in his online chat, we also see it in real time.
CONTINUED >>
by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent
This “To Catch A Predator” special takes a look back at our earlier investigations as well as a look forward at some critical areas involving online predators we’ve yet to explore.
More important, it’s told in a unique way. Producer Lynn Keller interviewed me, Del and Frag from the online watchdog group Perverted-Justice, some of the law enforcement officers who ran parallel investigations to arrest the men we confronted, and a prosecutor.
The story is told in essentially our own words. It will take you behind the scenes, going back to our very first investigation in Long Island, New York. You’ll see how the investigations developed and became more sophisticated. There are moments that are startling, disturbing and in a few instances even humorous. We’ll answer some of the questions you’ve raised here on the blog.
You may know that I recently wrote a book called “To Catch A Predator” in an effort to explore several important aspects of this subject that we’ve not had time to flesh out on television. One of those areas is that of collateral damage-- what happens to the wives and children of the men who are arrested. You’ll meet Darlene Calvin who appears in the book and you’ll hear the inspirational story of how she put her life back together after her husband’s arrest. You’ll also hear the unique prospective of Bob Shilling, a Seattle Police detective who investigates sex crimes against children, who himself was the victim of sexual abuse as a child.
Take a look at the program. I think you’ll find it interesting and insightful.
These posts were meant to coincide with the broadcast.
by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent
8:03 p.m.
Usually when two potential predators arrive at close to the same time, I try to move quickly through the first interview so that we are ready for the second. But here in Flagler Beach, you’re about to see something I’ve not done before. Two men show up so close to each other I have no choice but to conduct the interviews at the same time. Watch as I introduce the two men to each other and see if you can figure out which one has seen our previous Dateline investigations.
CONTINUED >>
by Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent
As our “To Catch a Predator” investigation in Flagler Beach, Florida continues, you’re going to see something we don’t experience very often. It’s hard to imagine, but we had an active duty member of law enforcement arrive at our hidden camera house after an extremely graphic online chat with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl for nearly a month.
We didn’t know it at the time but 41-year-old Todd Spikes was a police officer for the Florala, Alabama Police Department.
CONTINUED >>
This was Tuesday's live blog. These posts were meant to coincide with the broadcast.
by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent
7:55 p.m.
Meet a the guy who thinks he’s about to get away it, at least for a few minutes. Mohamed Abdalla walks into our hidden camera house oozing with confidence. Notice how relaxed he is talking with our actress posing as a young teen home alone. Even when I walk out to talk to him, he’s got his story all set and he’s sticking to it.
CONTINUED >>
by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent
Since we started our “To Catch A Predator” investigations almost two and a half years ago, I have confronted more than 200 men who had sexually explicit online chats with decoys posing as young teens before showing up for a date at one of our hidden camera houses.
Many of the men ultimately admit their intentions and sometimes go into great detail about their online addictions and compulsions that led them to our door.
But every once in a while, I run into someone who comes up with what he thinks is a plausible story-- an “innocent excuse” if you will -- for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. CONTINUED >>
