Anybody see the 20/20 last night regarding the series of stings that NBC participated in?
Seems NBC collaborated with the police in a town in Texas and hired a company and actors to engage web surfers in conversations about having sex with minors. The actors pretended to be under age and engaged chats with surfers about having sex with them. They would arrange to meet at an address which was a house set up for the purpose. When a guy arrived, NBC would film an encounter with the NBC host of the show who would ask him about why he was trying to hook up with an under age person, etc.
Problem is, one guy always refused to meet, but they found out who he was and staged an event with cameras, to go to his house and arrest him. They broke into his house, found him with a gun as he shot himself in the head. He died, so it raised all sorts of questions about the ethics of what the police and NBC were doing.
First let me sat that I do believe that sex with minors is wrong. Completely wrong. It's a shame some people have that interest.
BUT, I have a serious problem with arresting someone because he thinks he is planning a sexual encounter with an under age person, when in reality, the under aged person is not under aged, but is an adult actor or police officer. If the actor pretended to be 21 rather than pretended to be 13, there would be no crime. But, simply because the actor lies and claims to be 13, the guy has committed a crime. I don't buy it.
Apparently many [most?] citizens do, because apparently there are many such sting operations underway accross the country. I suppose the people who think such stings are unethical don't want to say so because they could be accused of not wanting to protect the children. And, perhaps, some police organizations are zelous about catching these guys, so the ends justifies the means?
Any thoughts?
Seems NBC collaborated with the police in a town in Texas and hired a company and actors to engage web surfers in conversations about having sex with minors. The actors pretended to be under age and engaged chats with surfers about having sex with them. They would arrange to meet at an address which was a house set up for the purpose. When a guy arrived, NBC would film an encounter with the NBC host of the show who would ask him about why he was trying to hook up with an under age person, etc.
Problem is, one guy always refused to meet, but they found out who he was and staged an event with cameras, to go to his house and arrest him. They broke into his house, found him with a gun as he shot himself in the head. He died, so it raised all sorts of questions about the ethics of what the police and NBC were doing.
First let me sat that I do believe that sex with minors is wrong. Completely wrong. It's a shame some people have that interest.
BUT, I have a serious problem with arresting someone because he thinks he is planning a sexual encounter with an under age person, when in reality, the under aged person is not under aged, but is an adult actor or police officer. If the actor pretended to be 21 rather than pretended to be 13, there would be no crime. But, simply because the actor lies and claims to be 13, the guy has committed a crime. I don't buy it.
Apparently many [most?] citizens do, because apparently there are many such sting operations underway accross the country. I suppose the people who think such stings are unethical don't want to say so because they could be accused of not wanting to protect the children. And, perhaps, some police organizations are zelous about catching these guys, so the ends justifies the means?
Any thoughts?