Warning: This article heavily references both child sexual abuse (CSA), as well as suicide, and may contain triggering material for some readers.
To Catch a Predator (2004-2007), despite its short time on the airwaves, was one of the defining TV shows of the early 2000s. A Dateline NBC series hosted by Chris Hansen, it was a real-life documentation of undercover sting operations, aiming to end in the arrest and prosecution of sexual predators found to be abusing children.
A typical episode involved a setting of a decoy house, said to be the location of a fictional child the predator had been exchanging messages online with, whom they had arranged to meet. In reality, the predator was messaging an adult member of a watchdog group, known as Perverted-Justice, using the messages to confirm proof of pedophilic behavior. At the decoy house, a younger-looking adult actor lures the predator into being caught in the act, at which point Hansen appears and confronts them before their arrest.
To Catch a Predator encapsulated concerns over the rise of the internet at the turn of the new millennium, notably its ability to let predators abuse children without ever leaving the parents’ sight. Moreover, it was part of a trend of vigilante justice television that had become popular through reality TV.
As is often the case with vigilante justice, the results of To Catch a Predator were very much mixed. As an infotainment program, operating without the guidance of relevant experts in the fields of law and child protection, the investigations and attempted stings shown often failed to result in prosecution. While the show’s concept brought consistently high ratings, the fallout from an attempted sting during resulted in To Catch a Predator’s cancellation.
Why was To Catch a Predator cancelled?
After two successful seasons, To Catch a Predator’s ratings success was cut short after the unexpected death of a person featured in the show during production in November 2006, with the last episode airing in December 2007.
Bill Conradt – a district attorney in Dallas, Texas – became a person of interest in the show, after a Perverted-Justice volunteer posing as a 13-year-old boy online, began to exchange messages of a sexual nature. This prompted an arranged meeting, intended to be filmed. After Conradt failed to show up at the location, NBC, working alongside local law enforcement, tracked Conradt down at his home, forcing down the door for entry into the house. In doing so, he killed himself, something that was caught on camera, but never aired.
Despite witnessing the suicide method, the NBC crew continued filming, including that of Conradt as he lay dying, with a police officer at the scene recorded to have said “that’ll make good TV,” as noted during a subsequent lawsuit. Conradt was pronounced dead later that day in hospital.
From the outset, To Catch a Predator was criticized for making a spectacle out of investigating cases of child sexual abuse, prioritizing entertainment over ensuring sufficient evidence to guarantee successful arrest and conviction of predators. The sting against Conradt was intended to lure him, along with 24 other adult men, into a decoy house. All the others turned up, prompting their arrest. However, in the fallout from Conradt’s death, they all had the charges against them dropped, as an investigation into the incident found the internet activity logs to be insufficient evidence.
Hansen has denied the series ended due to this incident. However, a lawsuit of over $105 million, and a subsequent settlement from NBC to Conradt’s sister for an undisclosed amount, seems to confirm otherwise. While the case ended with an out-of-court arrangement between the two parties, it was generally concluded that NBC was responsible for Conradt’s death, and the network routinely pressured police investigations into rushed tactics and handling of evidence, making it more difficult for victims to secure convictions. Given the costly legal battle and a changing public attitude towards the series’ validity in bringing about justice to its victims, NBC commissioned no further episodes.
If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Helpline. Alternatively, you can visit their website for online support.
If you know someone suffering from sexual abuse, call the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network at 800.656.HOPE, or visit their website.