How to catch a predator?

I am not sure if you guys have seen Dateline NBC's series "To Catch a Predator." This is a sting operation where there are hidden cameras and decoys used to catch potential internet sexual predators preying on minors. There are critics of this program who feel that the channel is more interested in ratings that justice. You can read the wikipedia entry here. This program after a while became repetitive and we stopped watching it. Soliciting sex with a minor is a serious crime and such predators must be severely punished for robbing a child's innocence! Parents also need to be careful and monitor their children's online activities and who their "online buddies" are.

However there are a lot of dark humorous moments which I thought I might blog about. One was when this one guy had an explicit online conversation with the decoy, posing as a 14-year old girl who is home alone, and then drove 100 miles to the house. When accosted by Chris Hansen, this guy defends himself saying that he came here to just talk to her and find out if she was all right since she was home alone! Now that is one good samaritan one shouldn't have anywhere near their children. One other guy, who was facing conviction for pedophilia, came to see this other child before going to jail the following week. Now that is an example of productive time before introspecting one's action. *rolling eyes*

Then there was one guy who had watched the show previously and come to see the decoy posing as a minor. When accosted he recognized Chris Hansen and said "Oh you are Chris Hansen and I am on national TV. Well I just came here to talk to her." I later told K that he looked so dense that he must be probably thinking, "Gee mom.... look I am famous. I am on National TV and you thought I would never leave the basement. I am sure grandma must be proud. Now all the bullies in high school who gave me a wedgie must be so jealous."

There were two desis as well. K and I were totally startled when we saw them. As if pedophilia is restricted to certain regions! Anyway one of the guys actually undressed completely as soon as he entered the home. When accosted he also said that he was here to talk. You know perhaps he mistook this place as a nudist camp or perhaps he thought he was modelling for an art class (Eww that was so disgusting!). The other desi guy claimed to be a "respectable man with a wife." Well creep, you have just changed the definition of respectable and you deserve this humiliation!

I happened to catch a glimpse of this evening's episode where the guy was caught twice. His reaction on seeing Chris Hansen was "Oops!" I thought to myself, "You are busted, pervert! Now rot in jail!!!"