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November 08, 2006
Perverting Justice
An organization called Perverted Justice -- a so-called "Internet Watch" group -- goes around the country and induces men to correspond with what they think are minor boys via email, instant messenging and chat rooms. However, the minor boys are really Perverted Justice operatives, who then turn over the evidence of solicitation to police authorities while notifying the news media about the impending arrest of the men for soliciting sex over the Internet with people they thought were underage boys. In turn, the police enjoy the publicity and allow the news media to tag along to video the arrest for the 10 o'clock news.
This past Sunday, a well-regarded 56-year old prosecutor, Louis Conradt, Jr.. of the North Texas town of Terrell killed himself as the police were knocking on his door to arrest him in a Perverted Justice-inspired sting operation. Of course, a Dateline NBC camera crew was outside Conradt's house when Conradt killed himself.
Although there is forensic computer evidence that Conradt had communicated over the Internet with other minor boys, there is no evidence that he had ever actually met any of the boys. Conradt clearly needed help for a personal problem, but that therapy did not include having a camera crew show up on his front porch to film the most humiliating moment of his life. What Conradt did is shameful, but what Perverted Justice, the police and the Dateline NBC reporters did to Conradt is much worse than the crime that they contend that their actions are attempting to deter.
Posted by Tom at November 8, 2006 04:09 AM
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Comments
"What Conradt did is shameful, but what Perverted Justice, the police and the Dateline NBC reporters did to Conradt is much worse than the crime that they contend that their actions are attempting to deter."
I respectfully disagree with this statement.
Posted by: brent ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://blog.kir.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 8, 2006 11:04 AM
"I respectfully disagree with this statement."
Amen. Conradt may not have physically met with his victims---but he almost certainly communicated with them on the Internet. That alone justifies a humiliating arrest.
Posted by: David Thomson at November 9, 2006 06:34 PM
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