Dateline NBC has been doing a series of shows called To Catch a Predator. These shows focus on adult men who trolll around internet chat rooms, looking for teens (mostly girls, sometimes boys) for sexual encounters. For the most part, the age of the teen is set at 14 or 15. Many of these guys are repeat offenders, having been arrested in the past for other offences of a simlar nature.

The show has been a big eye opener for many americans, who has seen the internet through a whole different eye. For the adult industy, it has actually been a really good thing in my opinion because it shows that it isn’t porn sites that are making the internet dangerous, but rather those abusers and criminals that would otherwise be cruising the mall and burger shops.

The internet just made it easier for them to go fishing without as many apparent risks. No public exposure, little risk of running into police and whatnot.

I applaud NBC for their effort, they have really shown how things work. They have trapped out 130 perverts in the last couple of years.

Wonderful.

I wish though that they would spend some time on the missing link, the actual cause, the root cause of this problem isn’t the predators… it is the children left alone to surf the net, enter chat rooms, operate web cameras… ending up looking more like an open invitation to predators. Kids with computers, internet access and a closed door is a very dangerous combination.

Dateline should work with the police and set up the reverse sting. Become the predator, hit myspace and the chat rooms, and start fishing. Find the kids home alone, talk them into a meeting or giving up personal information, and then go for it. Hook up with the kids (with police present) and then go find the parents. Show them what the heck their chidlren are up to, and teach parents all over america how to keep their children from being victims.

It is about time someone took responsiblity for their children, and understood that these crimes only happen when the children are not cared for, not supervised, and allowed to run free when they are too young to accept the responsilbity.