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Chester 24, Dateline 1*

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Football_Bat, Jun 1, 2007.

  1. markvid

    markvid Guest

    Well said, F_B.
    Perfect description of the issue.
     
  2. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    How many of those have gone to trial yet, though? If there are lots and lots of acquittals that's one thing, but it's not entirely clear that's what's happening either. I only mention that because a story I did once along these lines had me asking the same question to a US Attorney, and that was his answer. The rest of the scumbags were just awaiting trial.
     
  3. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I don't have a problem with them doing it. I think a good public shaming might do some good. Take the police out of the equation if its an ethical problem. i'm sure the scariest thing about these episodes is that the perps look like "average joes" for the most part. Hell a US congressman was revealed to be a pred last year. I'm stunned more of these guys don't lawyer up though..
     
  4. JackS

    JackS Member

    I don't know the answer to your question, but Dateline has also made it clear that a lot of the alleged perps are awaiting trial, and that the conviction rate once they do go to trial is basically unblemished..at least with the Dateline cases. I can only assume that also applies to all the Perverted Justice cases, televised or not.

    But I still get a kick out of FB's self-righteous "get a badge or get out of the business" garbage. I guess that goes for John Walsh too. We all know policemen around the country hate this kind of televised help and are screaming for an end to it.

    Methinks Mr. Bastard just has a problem with stings in general. Better to have the pervs screw the kids first before we arrest 'em. After all, it's not that big a problem.
     
  5. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    That's kind of what I figured too, Jack. Now that I think about it, it was a US Attorney I talked with, and at one point there was a boast of X amount of arrests and a much smaller number of convictions, which on the surface wasn't something you want to brag about. And he said that the conviction rate was perfect of those that have gone all the way through. The rest of those arrested but not convicted just hadn't been convicted yet.
     

  6. John Walsh has his own gig. He's neither us nor a cop.
    We should not be engaged in stings. Period. (And cops ought to be careful in how they operate them -- please see, "Dorismond, Patrick" for details.) And the ends-justify-the-means attitude on this particular issue is what helped bring the McMartin, Edenton, and Kelly Michaels atrocities in the past decade or so.
    Don't speak for me, Jack. You're not qualified.
     
  7. JackS

    JackS Member

    Translation: I don't like stings.

    As I thought. Carry on.
     
  8. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    I wouldn't be so quick to offer a translation that's obviously flawed, JackS. In this case, you're adding your own translation, but not really speaking for FB.

    No one is saying they like child predators. But from a journalistic perspective, Dateline is clearly crossing the line. If this were a crossover on another topic, you'd likely be all over Dateline for abandoning journalism ethics.

    That's what Fenian's beef is about.
     
  9. Stings are shoddy journalism.
    They can be even shoddier police work.
    And, again, no, this problem, while serious, is not nearly as widespread as the Dateline people want the country to believe that it is, for reasons that have nothing to do with concern for anyone's children, and everything to do with GE's wallet.
     
  10. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    Nice work dragging McMartin into this.

    Either you have no idea what that case was about or you assume we don't. It's an apples-and-oranges comparison, not that you care.
     
  11. Pilot

    Pilot Well-Known Member

    A few thoughts:

    They aren't catching the guys that sit outside a playground and throw 7 year olds into a van. They're catching guys invited over by a what, 14 or 15 year old? To me, there are several important differences there.

    First, I don't think wanting to F a 7 year old is the same as wanting to f a 15 year old — and I'm talking from a mental disorder point of view, mostly. Last time we had this all out I remember reading somewhere that on the psychological side, one is seen as a very young adult, the other a child. We throw out the term "child molester" and I immediately think dead first-grader. That's not the case with the guys they're catching. They're catching guys whom I'd imagine typically screw anything, and think they have a chance to screw what in at least some eyes is a young adult. That doesn't make what they do right, by any means, but it might explain why there are so f-ing many people willing to jump at the opportunity when we generally assume the percentage of actual "child molesters" is lower.

    Second, how many of these guys would actually go through with this if it weren't for a well though out script on the part of the first internet chat "kid." I have no idea, but I wonder. They ALWAYS seem to be getting people to fall for it, obviously, which means this crap either happens pretty much everyday, thus so many people aren't afraid, or rarely, meaning all the people that go looking for such activity find the same outlet (the Dateline sting.) If it's the latter, and they all go to the Dateline one because there aren't really any other options, then that is somewhat shitty — they wouldn't have even had the temptation had Dateline not set things up. Then rather than just siphoning off some of the perverts that are stampeding down the little-girl trail, they're dangling a rare and apparently real carrot at the end of the trail, leading to the stampede.

    Finally, it'd just be fantastic if we could find a way to raise kids who wouldn't get on the internet and offer to have sex with old guys. That makes it sound like it's the kids fault, which I don't think it is, but it would seem like one way to curb the problem. So, lets just raise good kids. It's a simple as that. Problem solved.
     
  12. In the sense of local television news running amok with the help of an out-of-control DA, it's right on point.
    And it's another illustration about how the mania on this issue perverts criminal justice -- whether through bogus prosecutions or phony television stunts.
     
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