Editor’s Note: The following contains subject matter that might be disturbing to some. Reader discretion is advised.To Catch A Predatoris a visual representation of how the word “ick” feels, especially in how it is a reality-basedshowcase of humanity’s darker side. Led by host and investigative reporter,Chris Hansen,To Catch A Predatorwas part of anNBCsting operation that aimed to expose adult men attempting to solicit minors for sexual acts. The team hunkers down in chat rooms, posing as young girls looking to communicate with older men. These men are looking to meet up with them and insinuate how they would like to perform inappropriate acts with minors. It has been compelling audiences since 2004 and garnered applause for catching creeps and keeping them away from children, but not everyone finds the show to be a positive act.
Critics have questioned the ethics and motivations behind the production.Is this investigative magazine genuinely about protecting children, or is it a spectacle designed to rake in money and ratings under the guise of public service? One of the biggest complaints about the series revolves around whether the predators caught on the show face the appropriate legal repercussions. Not all the men exposed on the show have been convicted,with some cases being dismissed due to entrapment claims or mishandling of evidence. This has led some to argue that the show exploits its subjects for entertainment value rather than just making sure that justice is served.
‘To Catch A Predator’ Has Zero Journalistic Integrity
Reporters were one of the first to jump onTo Catch A Predatorbeing questionable in execution.Brian MontopolifromCBS Newsclaims that the show didn’t operate with journalistic integrity. Everything they did was with the intent of achieving more ratings and, instead of reporting crimes, they were essentially creating more. While Montopoli disagrees with the way the show tackles issues of pedophilia, he also states that he doesn’t feel any remorse for the men being caught because they should be. On a related note, Hansen mentioned once that he didn’t feel they were catching pedophiles.
During an interview withNPR, he said they technically weren’t because pedophiles are interested in those who are prepubescent. The team atPerverted Justice, the organization that set upTo Catch A Predator, is pretending to be 13 to 15 years old, so by Hansen’s technicality, it’s not the same. A very weird thing to say, as the men caught on the shows are all going after children under the age of 18, but sure, hide behind a technicality.
‘To Catch A Predator’ Doesn’t Always Result in Justice
Unfortunately, not every offender on the show is actually persecuted for the crimes they intend to commit.There was a specific instance in Murphy, Texaswhere none of the men caught were charged. The team had nailed 24 men in Murphy and the district attorney and the Mayor in that area refused to prosecute these men because they felt the situation had been tainted. They stated that they believedthe men should be punished for what they did, but the involvement of cameras and being recorded for television caused them to raise some eyebrows.
Oneman was entirely acquitted of his crimes. When a 26-year-old sailor was allotted leave time in Petaluma, California, he was caught by the Perverted Justice team for trying to have sex with their 13-year-old decoy. The judge on the case threw it out because they had failed to provide the specific intent to commit the crime. The judge also reamed the team for entrapment in their tactics of capture. There is another instance in whichNBC was being sued by a sister whose brother committed suicideafter being exposed on the show. The lawsuit was resolved in the end.
Chris Hansen Couldn’t Hold the Job — or Stay Out of the News
In 2007,To Catch A Predatorhad received so much negative press that NBC could no longer continue with Hansen and his team. During that year, they started scaling back on the segments, dipping from an average of 7 per year to only one segment in 2007. The nail in the coffin for the show was when Hansen was caught cheating on his wife with another reporter.A source on the matter toldRadarOnline.comthat Hansen’s extramarital affairs were an embarrassment to the network, especially given the reporter was an affiliate reporter in Florida.
Later in 2015,Hansen launched aKickstarterto get the show up and running again under the nameHansen vs. Predator. This was intended to be a web series with the same premise asTo Catch A Predatorthat would eventually make its way back to television. The Kickstarter worked because he was picked up in 2016to hostCrime Watch Daily, which becameCrime Watch Daily with Chris Hansenonce he signed on. Unfortunately for that show, Hansen was struggling with his spending habits, which eventually led to his downfall.In 2019, Hansen was arrestedfor spending $13,000 at a local Connecticut store with multiple checks that bounced. He turned himself in and was released from jail after being booked.
The premise of the show was great in theory, but many of the behind-the-scenes moments makeTo Catch A Predatorless of the justice viewers want to see. The show couldn’t seem to keep their side of the street clean and with the high-profile nature of the show and network,their dirty secrets were bound to come to light. Maybe it was a good thing for the show though, because with the way the true-crime community is today, the show may not have made it past its final air date in 2007 anyway.
To Catch a Predatoris unavailable to watch, butCrime Watch Dailyis on YouTube TV.
