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One of the more darkly interesting investigative tv stings to have come around over the last few years is the Dateline: NBC specials "To Catch A Predator" where the newsmagazine tricks would-be child molesters into believing that they are chatting online with an underage boy or girl. In reality the adults are online with the watchdog group Perverted Justice, who work with local police and NBC to lure, and then trap, the men who drive to a home to have what they think will be a sexual encounter. What they get is a surprise interview with Chris Hanson who smugly asks them what they were thinking, followed by an arrest by police who are hiding in the bushes waiting for them as they exit the home.
On Sunday Long Beach police concluded a three-day sting that netted about 38 men, who according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, drove as far as San Diego to have relations with an underage girl.
The Press Telegram says that all the men are in jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Perverted Justice has been responsible for 76 convictions and have about 200 other men awaiting trial for similar crimes.
Although one man was tasered during the 38 arrests, it is not known if the police officer dressed as a giant bush made a re-appearence at the Los Altos home. But we won't have to wait long to find out as this weekend's sting will air next month.
