Creating Predators

Here’s a question: Are we creating sexual predators with all our hypersensitivity to the promise of the problem itself?

I admit that I have enjoyed watching the To Catch A Predator shows and other “Reality TV” sting operations where would-be sex offenders get what’s coming to them, and humiliated on national television.  Further that humiliation by having their face smeared across the internet in the same videos that appear on YouTube and other video syndicates like ThatVideoSite – these videos live on for an eternity once they debut online… I don’t have a problem with that really.

It’s not this existence of the video evidence that I think helps to perpetuate and even create a problem.  I doubt that watching their fellow deviants get busted makes them want to be nailed too (pun intended).  I think that in at least some of these cases, sexual predators and pedophiles were guided down this path.  Obviously they are messed up and had pure evil in their hearts somewhere – but getting to the point they got busted, and even making the connections to do such a thing – I think was a guided effort on the part of “law enforcement”.

It does make business sense if you want to look at it that way.  Just like when anti-virus companies are accused of funding or creating the very same viruses they claim to protect us from, to perpetuate their existence.  To me it is the very same with this kind of cyber-patrolling and ultimate form of entertainment.  Lets face it, there is so much bad news on the local and cable news networks, that when we see a perpetrator of violence and unspeakable acts get taken down, we cheer.

Take for example this boob that was being reported on this morning: John David R. Atchison.  John here was nabbed in Detroit for trying to hook up with a five year old kid, sanctioned by her mother.  Now thank goodness this was a sting operation and not for really reals.  But I know stuff like this has to happen out there some where, they can’t be making it all up as they go along can they?  What could make this kind of situation even worse?  How about if John David R. Atchison wasn’t just any schmuck from Florida, but he was an assistant U.S. attorney – YEAH!  HE IS!  To this I say WTF!

So first off I say that maybe we need to have a little bit better of a screening process for assistant US attorneys.  And second, I say this bastard needs to be sent up to meet his judgment sooner than later, if you know what I mean.  I read the news story on him, and though I suppose every accused person is innocent until proven guilty, I don’t see any good explanations for his actions.  Tell the wife and kid you might be late for dinner there John.

This raises two questions in my mind about these kinds of situations.  Question One is: “What kind of person can sit and be bait like that?”  These people looking for pedophiles on the internet are trolling for trouble.  How do they know what to look for?  Question Two is: “Are these criminals seeking this kind of connection when they went online, or were they convinced that this was their next logical step?”  I’m not making excuses for the retards that decide that this gets them off.  But isn’t this learned behavior?  I have seen enough of the Catch A Predator shows to hear the standard responses, and have had some of the statements made throughout the videos raise these questions in my head before.

Is it possible someone is just lonely and participates in chat and messaging online because it is a way to meet people without being judged?  (Sure this in itself is a flag that there may be social problems.)  But now you introduce forward attention from someone who directs the conversations all toward sex.  Can’t this kind of direction and coddling create the negative behavior we are looking to capture and punish?  I think it is.

I don’t have any grand solutions to solve a growing pedophile problem if there is one.  And I don’t have the answers to how to fix this situation if it is indeed a problem as well – but how can you justify creating criminals in the hopes of catching other criminals as a byproduct?  Isn’t that what this is?  I have not seen anyone come forward and admit that these sting operations helped save someone from their activities.  Nor have I heard anyone come forward claiming that these sting operations helped to save their child or themselves from a predator.  In any situation these kinds of actions are akin to a Minority Report existence where Pre-Crime is law and people are found guilty based on what they “could” do.

If its all for advertising dollars and sheer entertainment, then I would have to call for it to stop.  Creating a fear of what might happen if you sponsor a criminal and direct him into action is hedging you bets on false heroes and crime.

One has to ask the question.

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