Did To Catch a Predator perform a public service, or was it just another ratings-hungry reality
series?
However you feel about NBC's hit program, we've dug up a collection of behind-the-scenes
details that might change your opinion.
Questionable Content
Almost instantly, To Catch a Predator caused a stir among reporters who felt the segment
went too far—not just in content, but in execution.
CBS News' Brian Montopoli accused the series of being interested in nothing more than ratings,
arguing it didn't operate with enough journalistic integrity.
Furthermore, Montopoli accused the segment of taking the law into its own hands by publicly
exposing child molesters on national television.
Harsh as his opinion of the show might be, Montopoli also made it clear he feels no sympathy
for the men exposed through its efforts.
Entrapment Or Enticement?
Anyone in the business of rooting out illegal behavior runs the risk of being accused of
entrapment.
But according to Dateline correspondent Stone Phillips, there's a fine line between entrapment
and enticement, and it's always clear that the show's targets are no strangers to predatory
practices online.
"Clearly, no arms are twisted to get these men to engage in sexually explicit online
chats.
And since the stated intent of the house visit is to have sex with a minor, the ultimate
responsibility lies with the men who come knocking on the door, no matter who initiates
the meeting."
Don’t Mess With Texas
Not all the perps collared by the show have been given the punishment they seem to deserve.
After the segment nabbed 24 men in Murphy, Texas, the local district attorney refused
to prosecute the cases, claiming the amateur involvement of Perverted-Justice, the foundation
that teamed with NBC to create To Catch A Predator, "tainted" them.
The DA had backup from Murphy’s mayor, who said that even though the men in question
deserved punishment, the involvement of a television show raised questions.
Local residents were also furious that the show lured pedophiles to their town, and to
a house only two blocks from a school.
Death Of A Predator
The negative reaction to the show in Murphy, Texas was largely caused by the suicide of
Louis Conradt.
He’d previously been chatting with Perverted-Justice and had requested illegal images from someone
identifying as a minor, but he didn’t actually go to the Predator house.
Instead, Dateline waited outside his residence for hours until the SWAT team arrived.
“As they made entry, they confronted the suspect.
I believe he was in the hallway and he told them he wasn’t going to hurt them.
And then shot himself in the head.”
State investigators found child pornography among Conradt's possessions, as well as "evidence
of graphic online chats."
His sister, Patricia Conradt, filed a $100 million lawsuit against NBC, claiming her
brother's exposure caused him to commit suicide.
By 2008, the lawsuit was "amicably resolved" in a confidential settlement.
Thrown Out Of Court
A 26-year-old man arrested for trying to have relations with a 13-year-old girl put yet
another nail in To Catch a Predator's coffin.
When the case went to trial in 2011, the judge threw it out after only six days, saying there
was no evidence that the man intended to have have relations with a minor.
In addition, the judge also accused the segment of entrapment.
After the trial, the defendant's mother vowed to sue NBC to reclaim the money spent defending
her son.
Out Of Cash
After NBC stopped airing segments of To Catch a Predator, Perverted-Justice blew through
the $1.2 million they earned, and they've since become strapped for cash.
Though the group is non-profit, group founder Xavier Von Erck reportedly spent the NBC money
on "himself, his friends, and his website.”
Second Thoughts
By 2007, To Catch a Predator had collected lots of negative press, including heavily
critical stories in Rolling Stone and Esquire.
Some of Dateline's advertisers expressed misgivings about continuing to support the segment, and
as a result, NBC started scaling back production.
By August of that year, only one segment had been shot, compared to seven the previous
year.
NBC claimed it wasn't distancing itself from its controversial hit, but the numbers showed
otherwise.
Chris Hansen, Cheater
Chris Hansen, a 20-year veteran at NBC, was ultimately canned after getting caught red-handed
himself.
He and a Florida affiliate reporter got a little too close for comfort, which wouldn't
normally be a huge problem, but Hansen was married at the time.
The network sustained a bit of a black eye during the scandal—and some might say they
dropped the ball by not firing him on a segment similar to his own.
“So you have a big afternoon planned, huh.”
Predator Reborn
“There is something you need to know.
I am Chris Hansen and you are going to help me catch predators again.”
In 2015, Chris Hansen launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a web series called Hansen
Vs. Predator, with plans to bring it to television later.
He claimed viewers were hungry for "another investigation," and he meant to sate that
hunger.
By May, he'd raised almost $90,000 and started production, with investigations already underway.
Hansen Hired
In August 2016, Hansen was hired to host the nationally syndicated series Crime Watch Daily,
which celebrated his arrival by renaming itself Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen.
As part of the new deal, he agreed to make his Hansen vs. Predator web series part of
the program.
Predators around the world, you're on notice.
“With your help I’ll get that next group of predators very soon.”
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