NBC plays "To Catch a Residual" with PJ

Hey Kansas City, remember Perverted Justice? They were the all-volunteer group responsible for the most talked-about feature in the short but lurid history of the KCTV-5 investigations unit. They arranged for a sting operation that caught local men looking for sex online, setting up a meeting house in Independence and luring the "pervs," as PJ liked to call them, into the trap.  (To further refresh your memory, here's a story I did for the Investigative Reporters & Editors magazine on PJ.)

PJ may have been all-vol, but it sold itself like it was P&G. It was moving up in the world quickly. After doing stings for local news outfits in Detroit, Kansas City and several other markets -- in Kansas City it approached all four stations about doing a hookup, so clearly it did more than just lure cyber-stalkers -- PJ finally got the attention of the big boys. NBC signed the group to an exclusive stinging deal with "Dateline," which effectively saved the dying newsmagazine from complete obscurity and made it, most recently, the butt of a Conan O'Brien joke at the Emmys last month.

Now here's where the story gets disturbing. Radar's John Cook -- who in addition to being a fine reporter fronts a helluva great alt-country band with his brother --  reports that NBC agreed to pay PJ a portion of the profits from the upcoming DVD series based on "To Catch a Predator." 

OK, it's not going to sell like "The Greatest Generation" (we hope). But just as Tom Brokaw splitting proceeds from that book with NBC, for a book hawked continuously on his newscast, was wrong, so is sharing profits with a news source. 

Maybe it's just accepted by everyone in this day and age.  News is showbiz and what's a little profit-sharing among partners in entertainment, right?

But it's actually wrong, wrong, wrong.  What the heck, I thought I'd just point that out.

Comments

[INTELEC]

Perverted-Justice Conviction Status:
76 convictions in 30 different states since mid-June 2004!!!

"... even the Red Cross has critics. And they're the Red Cross!" Xavier Von Erck

Airdates for the four new episodes of "Dateline: To Catch A Predator"
— Wednesday, Sept. 13, 8 p.m. - Georgia, pt. 1
— Friday, Sept. 22, 9 p.m. - Georgia, pt. 2
— Friday, Sept. 29, 9 p.m. - Petaluma, California, pt. 1
— Friday, Oct. 6, 9 p.m. - Petaluma, California, pt. 2
Check your local NBC affiliate for actual showtimes.

:razz:

~Tele

[INTELEC]

Edited to add:

http://www.perverted-justice.com

PFJDC

~Tele

[Aaron]

Oh, I see. The end justifies the means. Thanks for the clari.

[Mark Jeffries]

Isn't it always that way? :)

[memoribilia]

If the ends justifying the means puts many more would be child rapists behind bars, then I guess, seeing as there are no laws being broken, it's a win/win.

I remember when Pj did stings in KC. It was a good story then, and it isn't just a local problem.

[Aaron]

That's fine. It just means there is now no meaningful difference between the supermarket tabloids and NBC's news department. Both pay their sources.

Now, back in the day, some might say that the remuneration means the source is more likely to sing whatever tune the payer wants sung. "But that could never happen here, but then again it might" (Elvis Costello).

[BobBaft]

So you'd rather NBC take 100% of the profits? At least PJ is putting it to use to rid the world of these f'ing scum.

[Aaron]

Haven't you just demonstrated why PJ can't be treated as a co-equal, entitled to profit sharing, by a reputable news organization? I mean, your passion is great, but ... we kinda get paid to see all sides and at least attempt a modicum of fairness.

[Intelec]

So, um, by your lame logic, you believe that because highly trained expert witnesses receive compensation- that this automatically guarantees that their participation is somehow wrong? Hogwash!

The judges and juries disagree with you, Aaron. A 100% conviction rate, of every one of the PJ bust cases which a prosecutor has taken to a judge, the evidence has never failed to hold up in court. All of the law enforcement across the country who work cooperatively with Perverted-Justice and those who contract with PJ for training and support, they would disagree with you and the article which misquotes them. KC- FBI Director Lanza has praised PJ on many many occasions. The times they are a changing and the FBI and many law enforcement have learned to value working with the public and encourage community policing. The man power and resources they lack, PJ provides out of a desire to see these men come to justice, and at no cost to Joe and Jane Q taxpayer. The vast majority of PJ 30,000+ unpaid volunteers are just average people with families who care to volunteer some of their time to protect children on the internet.

The pervs are just as guilty either way. The chat logs, the pervs actions and reactions speak for themselves. Remember, the former Rabbi David Kaye, from Dateline-Virginia, he was convicted on two counts this week in federal court. In the judges opinion- WARNING MATURE CONTENT CONTAINED IN COURT DOCUMENT< http://www.perverted-justice.com/webobjects/kayeopinion.pdf > the evidence against David Kaye was overwhelming and David's testimony was found not to be credible.

The judge mentions in the decision that the defense brings up the clear motive for Perverted-Justice to "deliver" the defendant, and the judge states that the defendant's argument proves to be unpersuasive for several reasons.

I would add that Perverted-Justice has been "delivering" would be child molesters for years prior to Dateline and years prior to the KCTV5 investigative report.

Law Enforcement across the United States, the Department of Justice, several United States Senators- all have praised, and given letters of recongnition to Perverted-Justice. Perverted-Justice- a non-profit organization, has never been about money or entertainment. But Perverted-Justice has used the growing public interest in the chatlogs and the shocking truth of 'internet predators of our children secretly showing up at our homes uninvited'- to educate the public to the extent of the problem.

Whether that entertains is irrelevant to the PJ volunteers, to the law enforcement who arrest the perpetrators, and to the courts who convict them.

Perverted-Justice is dedicated to exposing and bringing to justice would be child molesters who are guilty of the crime of online solicitation of someone whom they believe is a child. Perverted-Justice will continue to do so.

As evidenced in the chat logs, these men have intent to commit a crime that they know is illegal and wrong wrong wrong! The act of chatting sexually explicitly with a child or sending naked pics to a child, is in itself a crime in many states and at the very least evidence of an attempt to entice. They still show up at the bust location and get arrested, whether being broadcast on TV or not. Perhaps it isn't obvious to you Aaron, but these men truly and fully intend to commit child rape. Many many of them have histories on their computers that show that they have done this previously to real live children and criminal records that prove that they have molested children previously. The courts do convict them, and often they go to prison and must register as sex offenders for life.

The contributors "take the bullet" for countless real children each and everyday, not just when they are on Dateline, but Perverted-Justice volunteers waste hundreds of hours of pervs' time in chat daily. Once they take their thoughts and type them out for a child to see online, then this ceases to be just "thought" and becomes communication and enticement- a felony. The "roleplay" defense is not credible based upon the chat log evidence, their actions and their own testimony. If not for the adult contributors posing as children on the internet, these pervs would be showing up at the houses of our real children and they do.

What would it take to entice you to make plans to rape a child and to actually show up? You got it backwards, it is not the children luring the pervs, Aaron.

[Ed Dravecky III]

"A 100% conviction rate, of every one of the PJ bust cases which a prosecutor has taken to a judge..."

Sure, and the Dallas Stars have a perfect record when leading after three periods. Prosecutors only take cases to trial that they know they can win, the rest are plead out or dismissed. A much more meaningful stat would be convictions versus accusations and it's telling that this number is not readily available on the PJ site.

[Intelec]

HA!

Perverted-Justice has never had a case dismissed.

When a case is "plead out"- that is an agreement made that is advantageous to the defendant when the defendant knows he is likely to be found guilty. Plea agreements are made between the defense and the prosecutor, with a judge's approval. Plea bargains or "plea outs" are usually requested by the defendant in order to 'get out of a long prison sentence' and to avoid the embarrasment of a public trial. Plea agreements always require that the defendant accept that they will be convicted and found guilty of a charge. Perpetrators who "plead out" are still considered convicted felons and often must register as sex offenders.

Take for example, suspended Ohio criminal defense attorney, John Robert Andrews, WARNING MATURE CONTENT CONTAINED IN CONVICTION REPORT http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=manofdarkneedsl951 >

The wheels of justice sometimes turn quite slowly. The average time to convict a child sex offender is two years from the time of arrest.
The federal and local statutes on these offenses are continually being improved. Not too long ago many localities didn't have any laws related to internet sex crimes against children, some still don't. PJ is working to assist law makers in many states in bringing forth well worded statutes that will assist law enforcement in getting convictions and in preventing these dangerous pervs from harming more children.

The previous poster stated "A much more meaningful stat would be convictions versus accusations and it's telling that this number is not readily available on the PJ site."

Of the more than 1100 busts, most of the chat logs are visibly posted for the public to read and make up their own minds. If you see chatlog posted and you want to help get the bust convicted or you want to warn the parents of children within their community, you can join the Perverted-Justice forums and work on their follow up. :)

Most of us who volunteer for PJ agree, each and every chatlog shows clear premeditation and intent to entice a child and intent to meet that child in person. All of the evidence is made available to law enforcement. The chat logs are uneditable dat files which are archived and recorded on the perpetrators' and the contributors' computers. All the evidence on a bust may not be visibly posted but is available to law enforcement. Any inquiries can be made by contacting admin@perverted-justice.com.

~Tele

[Aaron]

"You got it backwards, it is not the children luring the pervs, Aaron."

All of your self-promotion is getting to you, because now you're listening to voices in your head instead of reading what I wrote. I didn't say anything remotely like that.

Let's move on.