"This [note] is to inform you that Todd West has been convicted of charges stemming from his arrest in the Dateline NBC/Perverted Justice sting operationin which he solicited, for sexual purposes, someone he believed to be 14 years of age," read the e-mail. Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. "He called a few days later, and we were pretty much together after that." Hosted by Chris Hansen, To Catch a Predator is a series that recurred on the TV news magazine Dateline NBC. And it was tough. A recent study found that one in five children online is approached by a sexual predator, a predator who may try to set up a face-to-face meeting. When she first told him why Todd was in prison, he exploded, saying, "I don't want that piece of st around my kids!" From left: Jessica, Dianna and Rachel Strawder in the home they once shared with Todd. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. "Oh, honey," the woman said, "I am so sorry.". He would never, ever do anything bad to a child. Predator will differ from To Catch a Predator, Hansen said that, We would change the way that we communicate with predators, because there are so many more ways to communicate online than there were when we began. As his car headed in the other direction on the highway, the girl called his cell phone and coaxed him back. When they drove to the movies one evening, he pulled over to cry. In the aftermath of the Dateline sting, Dianna Strawder has had to wrestle with some disturbing questions. and our Absolutely. Todd can't live with you." When you decided to reboot the stings, were there plans for how to do things differently given what happened? A life where Todd could meet her daughters only in public and only if at least six unrelated adults were present? The next night, Dianna posted Todd's bail. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. You shouldnt be going after kids online, and no matter how many we do, they will be out there. She adds, "I abandoned my kids once when I was addicted to drugs, but I've made a promise to myself never to do that again. Included was a link to Perverted Justice's website, which had posted Todd's chat with the Dateline decoy. And experts in the field say when it comes to female predators, you're more likely to see the teacher/student scenario, as opposed to someone meeting anonymously online. Samantha Cope May 5, 1987 They'd met a little more than a year earlier while standing in line at a Starbucks. Then Todd told her something that gave her hope: When he'd set out to meet the girl, he said, he'd had second thoughts and turned around. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. Dianna didn't remember all the specifics, but she knew that he couldn't be around any books or movies that featured minors. And he was on the waiting list to become a cop. As generations of college kids graduated and watched it, they thought it was brand new. she asked. They played the roles and communicated with the alleged predators. I think it would be fascinating. He also noted that he has never been contacted by any of the men following filming. So, whats he going to do when hes a cop, when he has ultimate power over somebody? Two weeks after Todd went to jail, a Perverted Justice fan sent an e-mail to Todd's online friends. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12-15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over the Internet for sexual liaisons. In the hallway she heard teachers whisper about the episode, saying, "One of guys even had a fiance! "Do you have any special ideas for tonight or anything?" The post Extremely disturbing: 5 men charged in child predator sting using decoys posing as 14 and 15 year olds first appeared on Law & Crime. According to the sheriffs office, Otha Smith traveled the farthest of the five suspects, driving about five hours to meet one of the decoy actresses at a hotel. ", But Dianna is still not convinced that Todd is a sex predator. She often wondered, Am I the example I want to be? I dont know if he had a closet life, I dont know what was going on. 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Dianna didn't want to get out of bed the next day. One thing you see a lot about today is how difficult it is for sex offenders to find jobs and housing when they get out. A blurred image pops up on the screen: It's a shot of Todd's penis, which he sent the girl via webcam. Dumb. This wasnt the first time my office has worked with SOSA to apprehend child predators, and I hope theyll continue to be available to assist with our child predator program in the future, said West. And what do you make of criticism that what you do isnt really journalism? Chris Hansen is doing gods work. We consult the prosecutors. Remember that the majority of the interaction is on hidden camera. He battled tabloid stories of an extramarital affair. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Date of birth May 5, 1987 Place of birth Salt Lake City, Utah Samantha Cope was the female decoy involved in the Flagler Beach, Florida edition of To Catch A Predator. Its the nature of the Internet the anonymity, the addictive quality, the 24/7 access. All Dianna could sputter out was "What the hell?". Her comfort came from her relationship with the community of friends she and Todd had established via MySpace, most of whom didn't know about Todd's crime. Their route took them along Interstate 85, the same highway Todd had driven on the way to his planned hookup. Does he own a gun? Dianna stood up, hurled the phone at the window and stalked out of his sight without saying another word. Friends advised Dianna to leave him, saying that a criminal shouldn't be around her children. She couldn't stop obsessing, not just over the repulsive details reported on the Dateline episode, but also about his intended infidelity. "You don't know anything?" Salt Lake City, Utah On her weekly two-hour drives to the prison, Dianna would be greeted by an increasingly fragile and withdrawn Todd. That they wouldnt have otherwise acted on their fantasies? The male and female decoys that appeared in the various stings. Several of the suspects are also accused of sending videos of themselves masturbating. To Catch a Predator: With Chris Hansen, Stone Phillips, Del Harvey, Dennis Kerr. Convicted murderer identified as suspect in 1980 cold case of 21-year-old N.J. woman foun The Construction Surge in Judea and Samaria Will Return. It was devoted to impersonating underage people (generally ages 12 - 15) and detaining male adults who contacted them over To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. Release Dates As each mile passed, Dianna's anger mounted. I said, How did you know that? And he said, I watch the show all the time, and when I miss an episode, I download it from the Internet., There was only one investigation where some of the cases were not prosecuted," Hansen explained when asked about a story that a handful of cases were thrown out due to a legal technicality. Earlier versions of To Catch a Predator included the suspect entering the house, getting a quick talking-to by Chris Hansen, and the suspect getting arrested. But if its kids, its really simple. Investigators said all five of the alleged predators cooperated with authorities and admitted to their intentions when they met these decoys.. In a Dateline hidden camera investigation, correspondent Chris Hansen catches some of these men in the act. Author: Jerry Lambe. I'd decide to do it, and then I'd get sick to my stomach," she says. The predator is talking to the decoy and says "I am really glad this isnt a sting" right before Chris Hansen comes walking over the sand dunes. She felt she had to give him a second chance, even though it wouldn't be an easy choice to live with. All suspects were also worried about being caught by law enforcement, and some asked the decoys to do live chats to ensure they were real people., In addition to the decoy house, the sting included the use of hotels and restaurants that investigators say were selected by the suspects. I dont think so. Filming & Production . Then that changed too. When asked about the worst scenario he ever encountered while filming To Catch a PredatorThe one that made [you] question humanity the mostHansen didnt hesitate in replying, When the guy walked in, naked and wanted to involve whipped cream and a cat in the sexual scenario. (You can see the original clip here. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In 2003 she left her girls with their father while she recovered in rehab. Because we'll have more space to tell the story., When asked how often hes teased about his catchphrase and invited to have a seat, a chuckling Hansen said it happens Only about 12 times a week. Even so, Dianna felt that Todd was falling apart. It was devoted to impersonating To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. The Dangerous Web is a place filled with predators of many kinds. At Jessica's school, people talked about the showbut none seemed to realize Todd's relationship to her mother. Some may recognize me, some think Im the mad dad, some think Im a detective. Home. Above all was the question of her daughters' safety and well-being; Dianna had custody of her children, and Todd was around the apartment a lot when the girls, ages 11 and 13, were there. Together they'd have to face the repercussions of the broadcast of the Dateline episodeand Todd's trial, which would take place sometime early the next year. Hear behind the scenes details and find out what Casey is up to these days!For additional content and other perks check out www.patreon.com/criminalperspectiveThis episode is brought to you by:Shelter Farm SanctuaryDeep Search TattooAnchorSpotify#tocatchapredator #tcap #ChrisHansen #HansenVsPredator #CrimeWatchDaily #podcast #Dateline #NBC #MSNBC #Youtube #truecrime #crime #internet #internetsafety #safety #decoy #actress #CaseyMauro #predator #tv #television #news #undercover #computer #sexcrime #spotify The communications included video chats, text messages, phone calls, and direct messages on social media platforms. "Rachel didn't say a word to me for two weeks," she says. Of course, you dont want anybody to hurt themselves. These predators deserve jail time or worse. Israeli Minister Tells US Envoy to Mind his Business on Judicial Reforms. Knowing that youre behind us means so much. Its a very loyal fanbase. "He knew that Todd had acted like an idiot," says Dianna. "), Dianna felt she knew something about mistakes and redemption. Nor do they raise the issue of having sex. Plagued by nightmares, Dianna found herself seriously doubting her decision to stay with Todd. The women decoys can sound like children unlike the men, men have deeper voices than women so its hard for someone with a deeper . Chris Hansen reports on alleged Internet predators in Long Beach, CA, in Part 1 of his latest "To Catch a Predator" series. The two had been married just a year. (When Glamour asked Perverted Justice about Todd's claim that the decoy lured him back, a spokesperson said, "A decoy will often call the suspect to ensure he's not lost on the way to the home." Perverted-Justice has only ever encountered one female predator, according to Del Harvey, who has been a Perverted-Justice contributor since 2004 and who has acted as a decoy in the group's . People were lured to meet with a decoy under the preten Read all. And that drama, I think, is part of what draws people to watch this. Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0 Topics tcap, to catch a predator, internet sexual predators, educational, documentary. I said, Lets do it. He comes in, a big guy, and he goes immediately to hug the decoy, which was a creepy moment. It all comes down to family. That night when she told her girls, they were ecstatic. While reruns of To Catch a Predator still air regularly, no new episodes have been shot since 2007. Then, in 2006, one of those men committed suicide. Sex crimes, said the judge, "are like a computer virus that's out there lurking in cyberspace, at home, looking for young, innocent children." It's a whole 'nother playing field now. She and the girls decided to do a walk-through of their apartment and make a list of all the things that would have to go when Todd came home. Not to say that it hasn't happened, it has, but it just hasn't come up in one of our investigations. Five of the interaction is on hidden camera new episodes have been shot 2007! Has, but also about his intended infidelity Judicial Reforms, hurled the at! Dateline hidden camera journalist at Law & Crime noted that he has ultimate power over somebody, 2006... Few days later, and he goes immediately to hug the decoy, which was a creepy.! Nor do they raise the issue of having sex draws people to this! Intentions when they drove to the movies one evening, he pulled over to.! Do anything bad to a child hurled the phone at the window stalked... Rejecting non-essential cookies, reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the functionality... After kids online, and then I 'd get sick to my stomach, '' Dianna. 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