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ORIGINAL: daddysprop247

this series infuriates me. the vast majority of these so-called "predators" are far from it, but rather just average, typical (tho perhaps stupid) men who are hoping to take advantage of an opportunity that is tossed in their laps. these "decoys" use very explicit language, and will even be aggressive, in order to lure these poor guys into this Dateline/Perverted Justice trap. also we have to remember that these are not naive, innocent children we are talking about here, but adolescents and teenagers. we are also not talking about anything approaching nonconsent.
my grandfather married my grandmother when he was 26 and she was 14...according to Dateline, that makes him a "predator." the fact that our modern western society infantalizes (sp) young people to the point where they're considered drooling, mentally and emotionally incompetent babies until they hit 17 or 18 is the true crime. it wasn't so very long ago that a person of 13, 14, 15 years old was expected to be mature and responsible enough to handle hard physical labor on a farm, tending and raising livestock, cleaning and maintaining an entire household, working an outside job to contribute to household finances, taking care of younger children, and in some cases had families of their own. now young people of this same age are viewed as doe-eyed innocents who need constant protecting from the big bad world. it's mind boggling.

the sad thing is that there truly are child predators out there, a great many of them, but they will never find them so long as they continue to focus on these clueless average joes. i speak as a woman who was violently sexually abused throughout my childhood, starting at age 5. He scarred me for life, physically and emotionally, to the point where i'll likely always be broken. He is a true predator against children. but you will not find him online being seduced by the aggressive flirtations of some 12 year old. that is not the M.O. of his kind.

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ORIGINAL: MstrDouglas

In a lot of the cases, it isnt even adolesents or teenagers they are talking to, it is and ADULT posing as a teen/preteen.  The few shows I have seen of it, have been borderline entrapment, and that is how some are getting away with little or no jail time.  It is an adult, in most cases the "child" instituted, or baited the conversation.  There is a reason these people are not behind bars, and Dateline or any other group doing it is NOT going to tell you about it, it is more important to them to get the faces of these perverts on national TV, and keep their ratings up.  Dont get me wrong, I am not defending the pedofiles, but I also want it done in a way they are taken off the street.

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ORIGINAL: Gauge

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

The only problem I have, is that Dateline doesn't do the work, there's a For-Profit, they're cutting checks to which does the vigilante work. Which is GOOD for Dateline, b/c some day, these guys will screw up, and Dateline won't be holding the liability.

Just One, "Oh you're the PLUMBER who's come to fix the sink?" is all it takes to put a company like that out of business.

It isn't very often that the plumber has engaged in some form of instant messaging and sexual innuendo with the said "child" and then shows up at the doorstep with flowers and beer in order to fix the sink.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

So - let me pick your brain- anyone. How does a preditor- sexual or otherwise "find" thier target?

You tell me.  I want to here from EVERYONE here. Throw in any comments.

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Keep in mind also that pedophilia is classified by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as a sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Which means BEFORE puberty has begun or typically age 12 or under. In other words a person sexually attracted to teenagers age 13-17 is not a "pedophile" according to the DSM.

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

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Keep in mind also that pedophilia is classified by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as a sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Which means BEFORE puberty has begun or typically age 12 or under. In other words a person sexually attracted to teenagers age 13-17 is not a "pedophile" according to the DSM.

What's the technical term for that? Creep? Pervert doesn't work, b/c WE are perverts, and they ain't us.

Scumbag? Jerk? Basement Residing Loser?

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

So - let me pick your brain- anyone. How does a preditor- sexual or otherwise "find" thier target?

You tell me.  I want to here from EVERYONE here. Throw in any comments.

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ORIGINAL: kindaeasy69

I've caught serveral in this series but I guess I missed this one, can you tell me what is different in texas?

Thanks!

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

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Keep in mind also that pedophilia is classified by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as a sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Which means BEFORE puberty has begun or typically age 12 or under. In other words a person sexually attracted to teenagers age 13-17 is not a "pedophile" according to the DSM.

What's the technical term for that? Creep? Pervert doesn't work, b/c WE are perverts, and they ain't us.

Scumbag? Jerk? Basement Residing Loser?

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ORIGINAL: GeekyGirl

I agree that these shows aren't catching true pedophiles. MOST men who see a well developed 14 or 15yr old will be sexually attracted. I could pass for 18 EASILY by the time I was 14. I was already wearing a C cup bra! Doesn't give a man the right to act on those attractions but it doesn't make him a pedophile either. People don't become sexual beings upon the arrival of some magic number..they become so when their body achieves a certain physical maturity.

Dateline won't ever catch the men who molest 5yr olds, because 5 yr olds don't hang out online as a general rule. These men are molesting their family, their friends; kids, their neighbors,students, etc. People they meet "in the real world". THESE are the people who are really dangerous.

My stepbrother is doing 5yrs in prison over something like this. At the age of 18, he was dating a 13 yr old. Granted, he knew it was illegal and should have had more sense...but they had met each other at high school functions, had a normal dating life (even took her to prom) and from what I can tell, they were crazy about each other. Her daddy gets mad at my stepbrother, files charges, and boom...the kids life is ruined. He'll be a registered sex offender forever and by the time he gets out of prison, he'll have been exposed to the criminal mindset so long that he'll probably never be a productive member of society again.

The girl was 5yrs younger than him...I've routinely dated guys 10-15yrs older than me. But that's ok because I waited until I reached the magic number 18. I'm not sure I find that fair.

True pedophiles have nothing in common with young men seeking teenagers. I work in a jail...I deal with pedophiles every day. They don't even act anything like regular men (if you know what to look for that is...they have a very specific personality type.)