Dateline report

The arresting cop had his gun drawn, yes, but it was a different situation because the cop was the one out there being seduced. Also, when someone tried to fight or run, other cops were around and came out guns drawn. That's what I learned on the cop beat...they will always have guns drawn if there is ANY chance someone will flee.

 

That's the key. The cops/girls are not asking for sex. The guys ask for it, which creates the illegal act.

Same thing with prostitution stings, like those you see on Cops sometimes. The female cop/male john always ask the perp what they're talking about, then they agree on a price and then the cops nail them.

 

As far as entrapment, there is generally a two-pronged test: you have to prove police inducement and that you were not generally predisposed to committing the crime. For example, if you are carrying some crack and an undercover officer begs you to sell it to him even though you don't want to and you reluctantly sell it to him, that is not entrapment because you were carrying the crack around with the intent to sell it. One of the reasons these stings ask the target to bring something specific (i.e. condoms, beer, hamburgers, whatever) is to negate the predisposition defense. By bringing those items, they are showing some intent to commit the crime. A smart target (and Dateline has proven these guys think with their little head) wouldn't bring those items in his car/on his person, so the police wouldn't have any evidence of intent.

That's also why they get a search warrant for the computer. If they can find chat logs with other preteen targets or child porn, it makes it easy to prove predisposition.

 

If I'm going up to the door, I'm carrying a briefcase full of Bibles. That way, if I get busted, I can plead ignorance and pretend I'm a Jehovah's Witness just walking through the neighbourhood. ;D

 

I'm pretty sure that with the new child protection laws, entrapment isn't much of an issue. The cops can initiate the conversation, can bring up sex first and can push for a meet.

Let's keep in mind that the pedophile believes he's actually speaking to a 13-year-old here. These are men talking to kids. If you're a legit, law-abiding adult, you're not gonna be having a sexual conversation with a 13-year-old, no matter who initiates the conversation.

I hate to heap praise on NBC for this show, but to be fair, they are sorta saving some kids out there. Whether you want to believe it or not, there are some messed up kids who would be susceptible to these guys. They're stupid kids, yes. But they're still kids, often in very screwed up homes or with some other sort of issues going on. And they're being taken advantage of by these men.