To Catch a Predatoronly lasted for two seasons and 20 episodes and yet remains a piece of American pop culture, which may make some people wonder why the show was canceled at all.To Catch a Predatorpremiered on NBC as a part of theDateline NBCprogramming lineupin November 2004. Hosted by Chris Hansen,To Catch a Predatorwas a reality series that followed sting operations conducted across the United States in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement, the watchdog group Perverted-Justice, and theDatelinenews crew.
The stings specifically involved cases of adult men attempting to solicit sex from minors, through online chat rooms. The minors were actually adults posing as children, usually as 12 or 13-year-olds, who would set up a meeting with the men they ‘met’ online. Once the individuals arrived at the sting house, Chris Hansen stepped out to interrogate the men as to why they were there, with the men typically being arrested on the scene. Naturally,To Catch a Predatorcourteda significant amount of controversy, with critics deriding it as entrapment, exploitative, and even unethical. The claims would gain a strong footing when the show ended.
To Catch A Predator Was Canceled After A Death Linked To The Show
Bill Conradt Took His Own Life After A Sting Operation
The last sting operation forTo Catch a Predatortook place in November 2006 in Murphy, Texas. Mr. Louis “Bill” Conradt Jr. was an assistant district attorney in Rockwall County, Texas (viaNYT). Reportedly,Conradt sent sexually explicit messages to a person he knew to be underage. That “minor” was actually an adult member of Perverted Justice, which was an activist group and paid consultant for NBC’sTo Catch a Predatorseries. Unlike the other 25 men who were captured in the sting, Conradt never ended up coming to the bait house.
A $105 million lawsuit filed by Conradt’s family alleged that NBC then urged law enforcement to go to Conradt’s home and arrest him there. When Conradt did not open the door, police entered on their own, followed closely by NBC cameras. Conradt was seen at the end of a hallway brandishing a firearm but promising he would not hurt anyone. He then used his firearm to take his own life (viaCaseText).NBC cameras caught the immediate aftermath and obtained photographs of Conradt’s body, the gun, deathscene, and an audiotape of Conradt’s last words.
Some believe that Conradt’s death and the fallout from it were the main reasons for the show’s cancelation.
The $105 million lawsuit ended up being settled out of court before it went to trial with the judge, Denny Chin, saying that a jury,
“…could find that NBC crossed the line from responsible journalism to irresponsible and reckless intrusion into law enforcement.”
The series was officially canceled in 2008, with Hansen saying the show had simply run its course, but the timing of the lawsuit and the cancelation is suspicious. Some believe that Conradt’s death and the fallout from it were the main reasons for the show’s cancelation.
Where To Catch A Predator Host Chris Hansen Is Now
Hansen Is Currently Hosting Takedown With Chris Hansen
After the end ofTo Catch a Predator, Chris Hansen continued working for NBC andDateline, hosting similar shows likeTo Catch a Con ManandTo Catch and I.D. Thief.In August 2013, NBC did not renew Hansen’s contract, ending his 20-year career with the network (viaYahoo). He continued working on series similar toTo Catch a Predator, includingKiller Instinct,Crime Watch Daily,Have a Seat with Chris Hansen, andUnseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygard.
Most recently, Hansen has produced and hostedTakedown with Chris Hansen, which sees him investigating and interviewing online predators. When it came toTo Catch a Predator, Hansen said (viaTime),
“At the end of the day, we had proved our point.”
Hansen simply thought there was no more the show had to say.
To Catch a Predator
Cast
To Catch A Predator is a reality television series that features undercover investigations into online child exploitation. It employs hidden cameras as part of Dateline NBC to confront and apprehend individuals attempting to engage in inappropriate activities with minors, highlighting the dangers of internet predation.
