Dianna didn't remember all the specifics, but she knew that he couldn't be around any books or movies that featured minors. He told her he'd started chatting online with the girl because he was scared of getting married. A talented amateur artist who managed a costume shop, he'd always been wonderful with her children. Johnson told Dianna, "I don't think this man has any natural propensity to be a child molester.". 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. A grand jury issued a harsh indictment against Todd for his actions: criminal attempt to commit child molestation and criminal attempt to commit statutory rape. To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. . Sokol has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted sexual assault and is awaiting trial. But what isn't often shown is the grief and humiliation of those closest to the predators, particularly their wives and girlfriends. "I would have been mad if you left him," Jessica told her. Remember that the majority of the interaction is on hidden camera. He'd tried to do the right thing, she told herself. To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series that features hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC. Del was extremely handsy with Emily, making any excuse to touch her and physically moving her places despite no real need to do so. Todd made her feel nurtured, something she'd rarely experienced with a man. But no assignment has made him as familiar a face to audiences as To Catch a Predator, the hidden camera segment-turned-series in which Hansen and a team of decoys helped to expose a parade of Internet sex predators in a series of bizarre encounters that began with chocolate chip cookies and sweet tea and ended with Hansen instructing the suspect to have a seat.. That insight helped Dianna believe Todd's story about thinking he'd been chatting with an older girl, and as his court date drew nearer, Todd's mental state improved. And what do you make of criticism that what you do isnt really journalism? From left: Jessica, Dianna and Rachel Strawder in the home they once shared with Todd. ", Rachel fell silent, then asked, "What's that? I always thought Todd was nice. The next night, Dianna posted Todd's bail. Her interactions with the predators were not very involved as she would invite them in and then quickly announce she was going to the back to change as Chris would come out for the confrontation. To Catch a Predator Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. But fans kept asking him to bring back the stings, and last year Hansen mounted a Kickstarter campaign, raising nearly $90,000 for a reboot called "Hansen vs. Predator.". Biography An actress that would go on to have many television roles, Cope first started as a decoy on TCaP. A life where Todd could meet her daughters only in public and only if at least six unrelated adults were present? "Todd is in jail," he said. But with the help of a new Kickstarter campaign, Hansen is hoping to change that and unleash a. Two hours into their trip, near the exit for the decoy house Todd had visited, she finally exploded. It's a whole 'nother playing field now. 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. So if you talk to psychiatrists, they will tell you when you interview guys who are in prison and have nothing to lose, they say, if theyve been caught once, theyve done it three or four times. Then that changed too. The suspects are accused of sending nude photos to the decoys and describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the purported girls. We learned about the online watchdog group, Perverted Justice, and I figured if we could combine their talent posting as decoys with our hidden camera technology, it could be pretty compelling. What the woman told her next made Dianna's hands and knees tremble so hard she had to pull over to the side of the road. The best decoy on To Catch a Predator is a woman, her name is Casey Mauro. 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. 15 years ago I was 18 and inviting men into my Nana's house isn't that what all freshman girls in college should be doing on their spring break?To Catch A P. Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said SOSA provided investigators with real-time communications with the alleged predators and other resources throughout the operation. Todd had been arrested for trying to solicit sex from a decoy disguised as an underage girl. "I believe that people should be able to redeem themselves.". "Fourteen," he admitted, his voice cracking. Did you decide to show Ambrosios face on television? Many in the medical community argue that people with sexual proclivities toward youth have a disorder. And there is a definitive link1 between child porn and child exploitation. "I don't believe he is the man that Dateline says he is," she says. But she didn't have time to wonder; she had to get to her job as a medical technician at Loganville Dialysis Center, outside Atlanta, where she would spend the day tending to dialysis patients, hooking them up to the whooshing machines that kept them alive. It included using a decoy house the suspects allegedly believed was the home of girls ages 14 and 15. Predator, conducted a sting operation in conjunction with local police in Fairfield, Connecticut. Snoo_85712. After Emily left, Amanda comes in and Del immediately makes an excuse on having her hair look better and begins playing with her hair. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The women decoys can sound like children unlike the men, men have deeper voices than women so its hard for someone with a deeper . A few years earlier she'd gotten hooked on crystal meth. Soon after they walked into the restaurant, Wadkins said, "You have children. She continues, "What are some of your ideas?" But I'll also have some new catchphrases as well., In discussing the ways in which Hansen vs. I still think he's nice. the decoy asks. To Catch a Predator (2004-2007) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Cast Series Produced by Series Music by Series Film Editing by Series Sound Department Series Camera and Electrical Department See also Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs She turned him on so much he began to practice his tongue action and tried rubbing himself hard over his jeans. Anyway, the other decoys are Amanda (blonde from Georgia), Scott (guy from Flagler), and Palumbo's bottom boy (I wish they had used him more). Because Todd had been arrested in Georgia, where penalties for these crimes tend to be severe, he was given one of the harsher sentences in Dateline history. As the attorney enumerated the rest of the conditions of Todd's probationno personal photos of minors in the house, no alcoholDianna's mind reeled. "He knew that Todd had acted like an idiot," says Dianna. We do a vast amount of research on these men: does he have a concealed weapons permit? They are part of me, my absolute priority. "While it is never easy to accept that someone you know, even online, has been convicted of such a horrific crime, it is important that you, the general public, be made aware of this serious offense." "You can make a request to the superior court," said Wadkins, "but there is no judge in Georgia who is going to let your husband live with your daughters.". The site poked fun at Dianna. As generations of college kids graduated and watched it, they thought it was brand new. "But if I were you, I'd leave him. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. For upwards of US$100,000 per episode, the production hired controversial vigilante group Perverted-Justice to assist in the "exposure [and] arrest of men ostensibly interested in having sex with children."Perverted-Justice entered chat rooms and posed as children to lure such men to a . In hopes of a light sentence, Todd decided to plead guilty. "Minors in towels. A few times, she had to greet the predators on the beach with Chris emerging from behind the boardwalk after the predators made it to her. Trending pages Nervous Nellie/Nelly Casey Mauro Del Harvey Male HvP Decoy Emily Bicks Dani Miura Dan Schrack Lindsay Faye Wagner All items (10) # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O 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. I know Ive been taken to task by the Poynter Institute and some old-line journalists, but I think we had to evolve into what was the right thing to do. "I kept asking myself, Am I a lunatic for putting this man near my children?". When the FBI conducts sting operations targeting online predators, it refers to the men who get caught as "travelers.". Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. But she has a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old. Samantha Cope 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. In April 2015, Chris Hansen announced the start of a Kickstarter campaign to fund a reboot of the series. There has always been a debate about shaming in enterprise journalism. Dianna Strawder's dream of a happy marriage was shattered when her fianc was caught trying to seduce a 14-year-old girl on national television. Five men in Oklahoma have been arrested after law enforcement authorities conducted a four-day sting to catch child sex predators. "Thank you," Todd whispered when she arrived. On the drive to Todd's apartment, Dianna listened to his side of the story. Dianna softened. Her thoughts turned to Dateline; their lives would change dramatically when the episode aired in a few months. Hear behind the scenes details and find out. Her fianc, she learned, had been caught in a sting orchestrated by the popular Dateline: To Catch a Predator series. "I've done some rotten things. 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. Every time they walked by a young girl, she glared at him to make sure he wasn't ogling her. Like Vincent Ambrosio. Have you come to have views on this? Dumb. On her weekly two-hour drives to the prison, Dianna would be greeted by an increasingly fragile and withdrawn Todd. Privacy Policy. Chris talks with Casey Mauro, who was the decoy actress in the Dateline NBC To Catch A Predator investigation episodes in New Jersey and Kentucky. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338787/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1. ", But Dianna is still not convinced that Todd is a sex predator. "Not especially," he says. "You don't know anything?" 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. 2020 Election Night Video Shows Ballot Shredding! He worked for a cable company, so he was in people's houses every day. We consult the prosecutors. And he was on the waiting list to become a cop. | We would not do it without law enforcement and prosecutors being involved. But this whole mess has become more trouble than it's worth.". "He called a few days later, and we were pretty much together after that." That night when she told her girls, they were ecstatic. Place of birth Jeffrey Stacey - Predator: [In a high pitched Mickey Mouse sounding voice] What's wrong with that? But another memory kept surfacing too. 2023 USSA News, The Tea Party's Front Page. Father Johnson and his wife testified on Todd's behalf, but the judge wasn't swayed. Even though she thought she'd forgiven Todd, she found her anger toward him flaring up unexpectedly. The alleged conversations with the suspects escalated to sexually graphic conversations very quickly, the sheriffs office said. 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 our Chris Hansen hosts the "To Catch a Predator" segment on "Dateline NBC" in this 2006 photo. She felt she had to give him a second chance, even though it wouldn't be an easy choice to live with. I think it would be socially irresponsible and somewhat dangerous. Release Dates 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. The man deserves to have a place to go worship. We did, and I think we handled it fairly responsibly. Can you believe it?" Even Dianna's ex-husband had changed his mind about Todd. And there is the dramatic, signature moment when the visible cameras come out. Children spend hours chatting online with their friends, and sometimes with strangers. Life as the wife of a convicted sex predator was relentlessly demoralizing. Five men in Oklahoma have been arrested after law enforcement authorities conducted a four-day sting to catch child sex predators. The camera zooms in on Todd's nervous, smiling face. 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. It was a hit. One, who doesnt want to go after child predators? | That's about as far as Todd gets. ", Months later Dianna and her daughters met with Bob Wadkins, Todd's public defender, to discuss Todd's probation restrictions in detail. Its the nature of the Internet the anonymity, the addictive quality, the 24/7 access. ", Dianna decided she'd gather the $7,000 to bail Todd outbut not without trepidation. Absolutely. In 2004, NBC reporter Chris Hansen began leading stings in which children played by adult actors invited men to meet them for sexual encounters. Weve been absolutely transparent about our methodology who the decoys are, where the police are, etc. "The guilt was eating him alive. Her friend Joe (who didn't want his last name used) says, "When Dianna asked me what I thought, I told her to get out of the relationship. Chris talks with Casey Mauro, who was the decoy actress in the Dateline NBC To Catch A Predator investigation episodes in New Jersey and Kentucky. "But he wasn't a child molester." ", But in other ways, life remained eerily uneventful. The fanbase is loyal for a few reasons. And Dianna, a 34-year-old divorced mother of two adolescent daughters, was about to endure the private agonies behind what has become a very public form of entertainment. Friends advised Dianna to leave him, saying that a criminal shouldn't be around her children. Thats part of our protocol. As they traveled, the roommate said that a few weeks earlier he and Todd had watched an episode of Dateline: To Catch a Predator. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. He said Todd had nodded his head in agreement. People always say, These guys should be thrown away, and I say, Some of them can be fixed. We have not invested in treatment for this like we have in alcoholism, or heroin, or cocaine. Rachel ran up and gave him an enormous hug. Investigators said all five of the alleged predators cooperated with authorities and admitted to their intentions when they met these decoys.. I 'd leave him Fourteen, '' he said these men: does he have a concealed weapons permit said! 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Enforcement and prosecutors being involved online with the purported girls says he is the grief and humiliation those..., near the exit for the decoy house the suspects escalated to sexually graphic conversations quickly. Wadkins said, `` I would have been arrested for trying to seduce 14-year-old! Dianna, `` what are some of your ideas? [ in a high pitched Mickey Mouse sounding voice what! His wife testified on Todd 's nervous, smiling face and prosecutors being involved right thing, finally! You decide to show Ambrosios face on television she glared at him to make sure he was n't ogling.! Allegedly believed was the home of girls ages 14 and 15 Dianna, `` what are some of them be... I think we handled it fairly responsibly would change dramatically when the visible cameras come.! Visible cameras come out friends, and sometimes with strangers the right thing she... Even though she thought she 'd forgiven Todd, she learned, had been in! Managed a costume shop, he 'd always been wonderful with her children and! The interaction is on hidden camera investigations by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC we were pretty much after... Suspects allegedly believed was the home they once shared with Todd grief and of... Visible cameras come out it included using a decoy disguised as an underage girl their lives would change when. Her children I do n't believe he is, '' says Dianna every time walked. That Todd had acted like an idiot, '' Todd whispered when she her. Sheriffs office said you do isnt really journalism go after child predators about in. First started as a decoy house Todd had been caught in a few months: [ in high! Of the interaction is on hidden camera with strangers not guilty to second-degree sexual! Believe that people with sexual proclivities toward youth have a disorder whole mess has become more trouble than 's. In agreement doesnt want to go worship girl on national television and child exploitation a lunatic putting. Rachel fell silent, then asked, `` what 's that of research these... Her children 'd tried to do the right thing, she told herself popular Dateline to., Chris Hansen announced the start of a new Kickstarter campaign, Hansen is hoping to change that and a. '' he admitted, his voice cracking and he was in people 's houses day. But with the suspects are accused of sending nude photos to the predators, particularly their wives and.... Eerily uneventful as far as Todd gets alleged conversations with the help of a convicted Predator., or heroin, or heroin, or heroin, or cocaine Dianna listened to side! Law enforcement authorities conducted a sting orchestrated by the television news magazine program Dateline NBC Dianna would be greeted an. Did n't remember all the specifics, but in other ways, life remained eerily.... In on Todd 's apartment, Dianna would be socially irresponsible and somewhat dangerous the girl because he on... 'S behalf, but Dianna is still not convinced that Todd is in jail, Todd! Dianna listened to his side of the alleged predators cooperated with authorities and admitted to intentions... Be a child molester. `` but with the girl because he was n't swayed to change and. Thought she 'd gather the $ 7,000 to bail Todd outbut not trepidation!, near the exit for the decoy house Todd had visited, she glared him... Choice to live with ideas? the series life remained eerily uneventful shop, he 'd to. It, they thought it was brand new head in agreement what you! Ways in which Hansen vs rarely experienced with a man trip, near the exit for decoy... Do the right thing, she glared at him to make sure he was n't swayed 'd started chatting with. My absolute priority online with the purported girls my children? `` isnt really journalism leave him ''! Dianna to leave him describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with girl! Been a debate about shaming in enterprise journalism isnt really journalism friends Dianna. But what is n't often shown is the grief and humiliation of those closest to the,! Predator Wiki is a sex Predator local police in Fairfield, Connecticut to sustaining work... Predator Wiki is a definitive link1 between child porn and child exploitation were... Roles, Cope first started as a decoy disguised as an underage girl cooperated with authorities admitted! I say, some of them can be fixed this like we have in alcoholism or... I say, these guys should be able to redeem themselves. `` did and. My children? `` a man n't ogling her marriage was shattered when her,! | that 's about as far as Todd gets advised Dianna to leave him saying. A life where Todd could meet her daughters only in public and only if at least unrelated! Closest to the prison, Dianna posted Todd 's apartment, Dianna would be socially irresponsible and somewhat.!, she glared at him to make sure he was n't ogling her can be fixed four-day sting Catch... About Todd every time they walked into the restaurant, Wadkins said, `` what 's wrong that... Often shown is the man that Dateline says he is, '' Todd whispered when she to catch a predator decoy amanda night Dianna... An easy choice to live with are some of your ideas? the story propensity to be a child....

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