Inside Dateline : Chris Hansen

A recipe for disaster

Sam Go — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:43:00 GMT

by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent I can remember as clear as the day it happened, that first donnybrook I had with my father over marijuana. It was a Saturday morning in the summer of 1979. I had just finished my sophomore year at Michigan State University and was working Monday through Friday hauling drywall, earning enough to pay half my tuition. It’s still the most physically demanding job I’ve ever had. It was about 11:00 in the morning. I was sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking...(read more)

A seemingly-fake reality TV show

Dateline Editor — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:58:00 GMT

Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent Every once in a while a story finds you. Such is the case with the hour-long investigation we'll bring you on Friday night, May 2. I think it's one of the most unique and interesting stories we've done this year and it came to us in an equally unique and interesting way. It was a tip from a Texas-based cameraman that got the ball rolling. In the past, Izzy Cardoza had done some work for NBC News and so he felt comfortable calling NBC after he says...(read more)

Investigation uses hidden cameras -- and Aunt Alice

Dateline Editor — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:21:00 GMT

By Chris Hansen, Dateline Correspondent

We’d been hearing complaints from senior citizens and government regulators across the country about the tactics some insurance salesmen are using to sell certain investments to retired folks. I’m a long ways off from retiring, but it’s an important subject to me because my mom’s close to that age and my aunts and uncles are already there. Given the turbulence we’ve seen on Wall Street, it seems like everyone is re-evaluating or repositioning their investments and would like to have their money in a safe place. And that’s what a lot of salesmen are pitching these days.

The investments are called equity-indexed annuities. They may be appropriate for some, but not for everyone. Why are so many people trying to sell these to retired folks? Simple: that’s where the money is. Seniors control more than $15 trillion in today’s economy and for the salesmen, these annuities pay healthy commissions.

Dateline decided to use hidden cameras to find out what salesmen were really saying or not saying to seniors when peddling these investments. We attended some of those “free lunch” seminars put on for potential clients, classes where salesman are taught the tricks of the trade. We wired some houses in communities where a lot of retired people live, so we could see the one-on-one pitch play out in real time.

...(read more)

‘To Catch a Predator’ goes to Kentucky

Dateline Editor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:22:00 GMT

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.

Do potential predators ever think they’ll get caught?

Dateline Editor — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:50:00 GMT

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

Despite probation, man still shows up at 'Predator' house

Dateline Editor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:55:00 GMT

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.

Court documents from the earlier case show that Lewis met his victim online. He admitted taking the girl to a wooded area, engaging in kissing and having her perform oral sex on him. Lewis served less than a year in prison for that case and was released on good behavior.

When you see him walk into our house in Ocean County, he’s still on probation. The earlier case is eerily similar to what we see Lewis do in our investigation. Again the intended victim is a 14-year-old girl. Again, Lewis wants the girl to perform oral sex on him and again he first meets his target on the Internet.

His chat with the decoy from the online watchdog group Perverted Justice goes on for the better part of five days. How intent was he on meeting our decoy? Wait until you see how long it took him to get here and how he traveled on an unseasonably cold night. It is one of many surprises as “To Catch A Predator” New Jersey continues.

Part two of "To Catch a Predator" New Jersey airs tonight, July 25, at 10 p.m. on NBC. Click here to watch part one.

To search for sex offenders in your area, visit the National Sex Offender Public Registry.

Behind-the-scenes on the New Jersey shore

Dateline Editor — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:08:00 GMT

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.

Here in New Jersey, where we've set up in a multi-million dollar home on the beach, our decoy Casey is able to have much longer conversations with the men. This gives us a keen insight into what they plan on doing to a young teen. Usually we mostly rely on the men's online chats with Perverted Justice decoys and while that does give us a graphic look at these guy's intentions, it is really startling to see them engage in the grooming process in real-time.

At the start of each of these investigations I'm never sure what to expect from the onsite decoy. They are usually college students who happen to look younger than they are, who have an interest in the theatre, and see this as a chance to perform and do something worthwhile in the process. All of the ones we've used have been sharp kids and have done a great job for us. Here in New Jersey, though, you'll see tonight Casey's work is extraordinary.

10:12 p.m.
A few months ago, in our Flagler Beach, Fla., investigation, we tried something different: a second location on the beach. Here in New Jersey, thanks to all the hard work of Mitch Wagenberg and his crew, we just about perfected it. It gives us the option of having the decoy invite the guys into a different setting. I wasn't sure it would work out as well as it did. Would the men be nervous about being seen in public with a young girl? What if a beachcomber walked by and spooked him?

As you'll see, it posed no problem at all. Several of our visitors seemed very comfortable in the beach chair. The real challenge was getting good, quality audio on the beach without having the men see a microphone. It's another technological feat. The microphones were hidden in seashells.

10:32 p.m.
I know I have said this before, but each time we do another "To Catch a Predator" investigation, I keep wondering if it's going to be the one where no one shows up. After all, this one is our 11th. We've conducted them in 8 different states now and 286 men have surfaced in the investigation over three years; 256 have been arrested and, as of this writing, 117 men have either pleaded guilty or been found guilty after a trial. You'd think word would get out -- and I suppose it has -- but here on the Jersey shore men are practically lined up at our door.

Many of them -- perhaps a third to a half -- know exactly what they've walked into as soon as they see me. In a few minutes you'll meet Michael Lubrano. He's 25 and comes to our house to meet a girl who told him she was 14. Here's another "To Catch a Predator first."

He brings marijuana and actually has Casey the decoy give it the smell test. Now listen to what he says when I walk out. He knows exactly who I am. In the back of my mind I'm thinking: How could a guy who "religiously" watches our show walk into one of our hidden camera houses? Listen to the compliment he gives me. For those of you who don't know, "Opie and Anthony" is a syndicated morning radio show.

10:44 p.m.
In this investigation we continue to see men from all walks of life and of all ages. Before the New Jersey operation is over we'll meet an engineer, a school bus driver, a former camp counselor, a retired fire fighter and, as you're about to see, a 33-year old Air Force mechanic named Ernest Timmons. He shows up after a sexually explicit conversation with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl. Watch how fast he moves after he comes into our house. I've never seen anything quite like this guy.

He's got his expensive digital camera in hand and ready to go as he tries to hustle Casey upstairs for some quick photos. There's a moment when our decoys tells him she wants to stay downstairs and talk first and that's when I sense he might be ready to take off. As I walk into the room and start to talk to him, he offers up his excuses: a big misunderstanding; a friend sent him.

While sweating profusely, he's sticking to his story. He tells me he's about to be deployed to Iraq. Apparently that's not going to be happening anymore.

New Jersey 'Predator' full of firsts

Dateline Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:57:00 GMT

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.

We have two separate places where the men can be greeted. One is inside the house in the family room and one is on the beach, with the roar of the ocean in the background. It's stunning to watch, as some of these men feel so comfortable sitting across from Casey in a beach chair explaining to her in person what they want to do to her sexually. A 53-year-old man named Eugene tells Casey, "You just relax. And I'll take care of everything, okay?" Then he says: "Just be your self. I'll just try to explain as I go. Tell me if you enjoy it." Of course he's not so explicit when I walk out.

In each of our recent investigations we've found men who have seen or heard about our "To Catch a Predator" shows and surprisingly, still show up to meet a young teen. I've gotten used to the fact that this will happen, but I have never seen anything like what happened in New Jersey.

There was actually one guy who came in and instantly recognized me. He told me that he was a religious "To Catch a Predator" viewer and that he never missed an episode. Before I could formulate my next question, he volunteered that he had heard me on a syndicated radio program and complimented me for doing a good job.

Once again we see men of all ages and from all walks of life, including a military man who seemed to be in a hurry. He comes running in with an expensive digital camera and tries to get our decoy to hustle upstairs.

Instead, he encounters me. Watch as his story changes and his situation goes from bad to worse in what is one of the most compelling "To Catch a Predator" shows we've ever put together.

"To Catch a Predator" airs on Wednesday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 25 at 10 p.m.

Have you been scammed?

Dateline Editor — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:56:00 GMT

by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent

I just wanted to thank you all for the overwhelming response we've received after our latest investigations. As you know, in the past few weeks we have used some of the same enterprising hidden camera investigative techniques that we use in our "To Catch A Predator" series to expose other crimes and scams. Apparently many of you yourselves have been targeted by the types of thieves we recently highlighted.

First, in "To Catch A Con Man," we tracked down some of the people behind those e-mails most of us have received offering millions, if only we'd put up some of our own cash to help a stranger in a far away land access an account only the e-mail sender knows about. I posed as an investor and turned the tables on the con men by exposing and then confronting them.

On March 27th, we aired the first part of our investigation into identity theft and credit card fraud, "To Catch An Identity Thief." Tonight, we are showing you the second part. I don't know that we've ever infiltrated a crime syndicate the way we have in this story. We started by getting into chat rooms that are virtual thieves markets for stolen credit card information and identities. We formed "Hansen Discount Electronics" on the web and "CH Delivery" so we could track this crime and the people committing it from the United States through Europe and into West Africa.

I have heard from thousands of you who have been victimized by the kinds of crimes we have investigated. It got me thinking about other stories we could do using our investigative techniques and hidden cameras. I am sure you have some great ideas as well and I want to hear about them. This is a great forum for you to tell me about the things you think should be investigated. Perhaps you have even documented some of these concerns on video. I may want you to share that with us as well to get us started.

Thanks again and I look forward to hearing from you.

How he got his guns

Dateline Editor — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:56:00 GMT

by Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent

36 days ago, Cho Seung-Hui bought a gun at a shop in Roanoke, Virginia, a Glock 19. I spoke with the owner of the Roanoke firearms Tusday afternoon, who told me that it was a “typical sale.”

Cho, who was a resident alien, had three forms of ID, so he produced a Va. driver’s license that established residency, a checkbook that matched, and his INS card. The gun shop did a background check, and Cho cleared the state police and federal computers. He was able to take the gun home with him after paying for it with a credit card.

The owner says Cho didn’t make employees suspicious, that he seemed like a typical clean-cut college kid.

“I can’t even begin to describe how I feel,” says John, the owner. “One death would have been to many. This is horrible.”

Gun sales in Virginia have been more than a sticking point with gun control advocates, not to mention New York City. NBC News analyst Michael Sheehan, who oversaw counterterrorism for the New York City Police Department, tells us many guns bought in Virginia end up on New York streets.

In the Virginia tech case, Cho purchased that 9mm legally. Earlier in February, he bought a 22-caliber handgun at a local Blacksburg, Virginia pawn shop.