Say what you want, but kids are a little safer now in S.W. Florida.

[William769]

Dateline's sex predator sting comes to Fort Myers

FORT MYERS: After three months of investigation and a three day sting, the Fort Myers Police Department believes it has taken two dozen sexual predators off the internet. Over the weekend, the men showed up to a Fort Myers home expecting to find a child. Instead they found police and a Dateline NBC crew.

The operation started in January when the Fort Myers Police Department contacted Perverted Justice wanting to do a pedophile sting. The group made contact with about 200 people through internet sites like Myspace, AOL and Yahoo, posing as a young child.

During the weekend sting, Dateline NBC and Perverted Justice set up shop in a local home, where the predators were supposed to meet with a teen. Instead, the suspect meets with reporter Chris Hansen – and then is usually arrested.

Click on the link at right above for the listing of those arrested.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=6783&z=3&p=

Friends, family reactions to pedophile sting

FORT MYERS: After 24 men were arrested on a pedophile sting with charges ranging from obscene communication, attempted lewd and lascivious behavior, and sex offense against a child, it was found that eight of the men were from Southwest Florida.

Two men were arrested from Charlotte County.

Peter Ernandez, according to the police report, told the underage girl he was horny and wanted to have sex.

Ernandez was not home for an interview but his neighbors were home and they were disgusted by Ernandez’s actions.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=6792&z=3&p=

Photos, addresses of suspects in sex sting

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=6785&z=3&p=

Protecting your children from online predators

LEE COUNTY: According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there are more than 50,000 predators on line at any given moment, up to 700,000 per day. There are ways you can keep your child from becoming a victim.

Florida Gulf Coast University Professor and author of Halting the Sexual Predators Among Us Dr. Dwyane Dobbert says parents must take action to protect their kids.

The first tip is to talk with your children, even if it's uncomfortable.

"If they truly want their children safe, they have to say there are some people out there who may want to hurt you," said Dobbert.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=6790&z=3&p=

[MadHound]

1. I'm glad that they're busting sexual predators

However I have a couple of problems with this. Mainly the fact that the police, judging from these articles, gave the lead place in these stings to an independent non-profit, aided by a meida outlet.

This brings up all kinds of issues, entrapment, was it a clean bust, was it done correctly, and the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. The police dept apparently allowed a group that isn't affiliated with law enforcement conduct the stings, set up the meetings, etc. Sorry but this is wrong. This is one step short of vigilantism, and quite frankly I would think that any good defense lawyer could poke a number of holes in these busts simply because they were conducted by somebody other than law enforcement. What good is it to arrest these guys only to have them freed later due to legal technacalities?

And I've always hated TV shows like COPS, etc that go along and make a media event out of a bust. Talk about tainting a jury pool. And with all the ominous law and order commentary as the arrest goes down, the presumption of innocence is gone out the window.

Look, if the police dept. wants to set up and run these sort of stings, by all means, go for it. But it is flat out wrong to let a private organization take the lead, and to have the whole event broadcast on television. It is against the spirit of the Constitution, and it opens all sorts of legal problems that very well could allow the perp to walk. We have multiple law enforcement agencies to do this sort of thing. Leave the stings to the experts.

[AngryAmish]

3. They have to follow Constitutional protections

If I remember my Con Law correctly (and it is very possible I don't) when the State has people who are not part of the gov't enforce aspects of criminal law enforcement they have to follow the same standards as police would have to. They "stand in the shoes" of the police.

As long as the criminals are not entrapped then hopefully the pervs will go to jail.

However, even though these folks are a non-profit, I wonder what kind of salaries these people make and who gets contracts from these folks. As we all know the non-profit sector is just as corrupt as any other aspect of American life.

[MadHound]

4. Good point on the non-profit

How much are they getting paid to do the police force's work? I just find this whole thing bizarre and despicable. And as Ilsa states below, NBC is simply in this for the ratings.

[Ilsa]

2. I think this stuff is being done for tv ratings, not to protect children.

I think NBC is into sensationalism. And I agree with MadHound's analysis of who should be conducting these stings and whether they are legal.

Edited for content.

[William769]

5. Well if a byproduct helps to protect children. Then so be it.

[seabeyond]

6. i think it is hrrible the we are "entertained" by watching these men

squirm trying to get out of the sick going after a child for sex scheme. i think it does nothing beneficial to us as a society to have this as evening entertainment. i will go so far as saying i wouldnt be surprised if it doesnt feed the sickness.

i saw a commercial last night for it and jsut turned me off. get the assholes. but this isnt entertainment. it is like making rape and torture and murder of women as entertainment. doesnt entertain me

[peacetalksforall]

7. I've seen MSNBC shows and I am disgusted because of the

theatrics and entertainment qualities and the money making objective.

Corporate TV is trying to be this government's morality police. Please take a close look. Start with a big look. How many programs are about crime? Of those hour shows with shows which are billed as news about 10-15 minutes are given to news and the remainder is selectively selected crimes.

They are setting up their own judge and juries and they absolutely taking positions of guilty until proven innocent. They are changing the law of this nation.

As to their predator shows = any public braodcasting programs where people are caught live with corporate tv employees running the show are money making schemes and border on entertainment because they are watched in the same manner as a movie. Employees are doing the moralizing.

Ask your self why Corporate TV is playing police and moralizer.

Any attempts to catch criminals live should be purely factual and should involve the Miranda law. They should not trap anyone beyond the law.

As despicable as they are.

If any of these predators were wealthy they might file a lawsuit for invasion of privacy?... which, if valid, could prove interesting.

I think two abominations are going on - the predators' acts and corporate tv super-spectacular context.

Their agenda - moralize and take over the minds of the non-thinking tv watchers and make money at the same time.

Everyone know there is a predator problem. Every kid has been warned. But they, corporate tv, want money. And the administration wants tv to help them control and govern the people, little by little.