NBC's "Catch A Predator" Settles Lawsuit With Family for Man’s Suicide

[MrJ]

Who's making excuses? Many of these people can't help it, but I'm not saying they should be found innocent beause of it. My main point though is that is guy could have been innocent (at least of intending to have sex), and even if he wasn't it was possible that it at some point could have lead to persecution of an innocent person. There's a standard in modern justice that we only punish people that the system proves to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt. This isn't a standard I made up or necessarily agree with, it's the standard by which society has decided to live.

they are evil

Don't get me started on the concept of 'evil'.

 

[GoSooners]

Who's making excuses? Many of these people can't help it, but I'm not saying they should be found innocent beause of it. My main point though is that is guy could have been innocent (at least of intending to have sex), and even if he wasn't it was possible that it at some point could have lead to persecution of an innocent person. There's a standard in modern justice that we only punish people that the system proves to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt. This isn't a standard I made up or necessarily agree with, it's the standard by which society has decided to live.



Don't get me started on the concept of 'evil'.

I agree...If I was a juror i wouldn't necessarily find a person innocent just because he had this condition..But on the other hand if this person was up for murder and it could be proved by doctors that this person truely had a bi-polar condition that couldn't be controlled at the time of the crime, I couldn't in my right mind send that person to his death..But I could and would give him life in prison. If for no other reason than to prevent any future crimes this person might commit. There is a big difference between a person who murders for the rush, or robs to support his drug habit or style of living, and one who steals when he has a wallet full of money. Evil is not always "evil."

 

[Enfuego]

Do you want to know what's really funny. These guys that have made contact with what they believe to be a kid walk in and when confronted they don't leave. Why don't they simply turn around and walk out the door? The news station is not the police and they have no place to hold anyone and they don't do that.

 

[MrJ]

Do you want to know what's really funny. These guys that have made contact with what they believe to be a kid walk in and when confronted they don't leave. Why don't they simply turn around and walk out the door? The news station is not the police and they have no place to hold anyone and they don't do that.

They've always had cops there. I watched a few of the episodes and one guy got nabbed outside. I remember one time they were detained one guy while another one showed up hno:.

 

[Joe_Hallenbeck]

I don't doubt that a chemical imbalance does exist in some people (as in a very small percentage of these types of criminals). However, I don't believe it is as prevalent as some defense lawyers and psychologists would have you believe. There doesn't have to be a reason for everything. Some people are just evil and f'd up for no reason.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. All of the sympathy for this guy goes out the window if that's your son or daughter he is trying to chat with online. You'd all want justice no matter what his psychological profile is.

 

[texansfan]

I am not making excuses for anyone. I don’t give a shit about dude and am glad they are busting these fawks. I am just wondering how the hell they can go to someone house with a warrant for chatting or doing something online to a minor.
Ridiculous.

What you are forgetting is that he had already commited a felony. If you go online and knowingly talk with a minor with regards to having sex then you have already commited a crime. You don't have to actually show up for the act. The show was about ratings, where they made the public want to see what kind of pervert was showing up at the house. The guys had already commited the crime online by agreeing to have sex with a minor.

 

[MrJ]

If you go online and knowingly talk with a minor with regards to having sex then you have already commited a crime. You don't have to actually show up for the act. The show was about ratings, where they made the public want to see what kind of pervert was showing up at the house. The guys had already commited the crime online by agreeing to have sex with a minor.

1. I imagine intent is a much greater charge than just talking, which is why they bait them into going to the house. There's also apparently a law against cross state lines to have sex with a minor.
2. He didn't go so I'm guessing they could only get him for the talk and photos (if there were any). The way the '13 year old girl' is acting in the chat, it's extremely doubtful that the talk itself would be harmful. Many 13 year old girls are at least sexually curious, and even with the photos it is probably something they've seen before (google images). Is death or a ruined life a suitable punishment?

 

[texansfan]

1. I imagine intent is a much greater charge than just talking, which is why they bait them into going to the house. There's also apparently a law against cross state lines to have sex with a minor.
2. He didn't go so I'm guessing they could only get him for the talk and photos (if there were any). The way the '13 year old girl' is acting in the chat, it's extremely doubtful that the talk itself would be harmful. Many 13 year old girls are at least sexually curious, and even with the photos it is probably something they've seen before (google images). Is death or a ruined life a suitable punishment?

Again wrong. Talking is the crime. You also don't have to cross any state lines to break the law.


According to the online-solicitation-of-a-minor law, §33.021 of the Texas Penal Code, it is a second-degree felony to communicate in a sexually explicit manner with a person the actor believes to be under the age of 14. The law also eliminates most of the common defenses to online-solicitation-of-a-minor charges, including that no meeting ever took place between the adult and child; that the actor did not intend for a meeting to take place; or that the actor was engaged in a fantasy at the time of the offense.

 

[oldirtyku]

Again wrong. Talking is the crime. You also don't have to cross any state lines to break the law.


According to the online-solicitation-of-a-minor law, §33.021 of the Texas Penal Code, it is a second-degree felony to communicate in a sexually explicit manner with a person the actor believes to be under the age of 14. The law also eliminates most of the common defenses to online-solicitation-of-a-minor charges, including that no meeting ever took place between the adult and child; that the actor did not intend for a meeting to take place; or that the actor was engaged in a fantasy at the time of the offense.

Exactly what I am saying. Just don't see how this can be a law b/c you really don't know who you are talking to on the other end. This is all virtual and anomalous. To many chat room is a fantasy land where people lie and say they are DR or millionaires. Kind of like how peps here bet 10k a game but cannot afford to pay a 100 buck bet here at the RX.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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If I hack into Mr. Cleo computer and chat up a storm to a 14 year old then the cops have the right to search his house and computer? <o></o>
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Just sick of big brother and all these laws. Sodomy is felony in VA. Get some anal or a BJ and you can do 1-5 years. WTF I should be serving 1000 life sentences.<o></o>

 

[MrJ]

Again wrong. Talking is the crime. You also don't have to cross any state lines to break the law

Please point out where I said talking isn't a crime. I said it's a crime with a lesser punishment, which is why they try and get them to come to the house. The comment about cross state lines was in relation to going to the hourse.