Wife, Woman, And Mother "Hood": November 2006

This is a true story, folks. Another prominent citizen is caught online soliciting teens for sex. This time, though, it wasn't a congressional committee that caught him, but Dateline NBC and Perverted Justice. When the police and cameras arrive at the door to serve the warrant, the man commits suicide. Please read this article, and take into consideration all that is being said. Some valid points are made, and many of the residents' concerns are justified. However, it is ignorance that causes this pedophile epidemic to continue. We must open our eyes, and place blame where it belongs. An adult male has NO BUSINESS soliciting sex from minors, whether online or in person, PERIOD. It could have been one of their kids. Organizations, like Perverted Justice and others, who provide a thankless service of providing the public with the truth about what goes on in our neighborhoods on a daily basis, help prevent thousands of kids from experiencing a horrendous ordeal. Read on......................

Views are mixed on 'Dateline' sting

Murphy: Residents speak out on city's efforts with TV show, group to nab sexual predators

08:55 AM CST on Sunday, November 12, 2006

By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News

MURPHY – A sharply divided crowd packed into a special Murphy City Council meeting Saturday to speak out about the recent sexual predator sting that has thrown this Collin County suburb into the national spotlight.

RICHARD MICHAEL PRUITT/DMN

Murphy Police Chief Billy Myrick (right) was among those on hand Saturday as residents spoke out on the recent sexual predator sting where the city joined with Dateline and Internet watchdog group Perverted Justice.

Many people were angry that the city joined with NBC's Dateline and Internet watchdog group Perverted Justice to conduct a four-day sting at a local home. They said the sting exposed their community to predators.

Others said they were proud that the city stood up against child abusers. Some of them offered their own homes for future undercover work.

The sting resulted in the arrests of 23 people and drew national attention to the methods that have been used by Perverted Justice and Dateline to catch people suspected of being child predators.

Patricia Conradt said Saturday that her brother Louis "Bill" Conradt Jr. was a victim of a reckless desire to grab headlines with the televised sting. Mr. Conradt, a former Kaufman County district attorney, committed suicide at his Terrell home when police tried to arrest him in the investigation.

"I will never consider my brother's death a suicide," Ms. Conradt told the council.

The meeting was called amid speculation over whether city leaders would fire City Manager Craig Sherwood and Police Chief Billy Myrick for allowing the sting.

Several City Council members said they supported the two men. Mayor Bret Baldwin said that neither man should be fired over the sting but that he has other issues with Mr. Sherwood.

Trust factor

The council, which was not notified of the sting beforehand, is likely to discuss the issue at its next meeting Nov. 20.

"We're arguing for the same things here in a lot of ways," said Mr. Baldwin, adding that he didn't believe the sting was necessary to get the suspects off the streets. "Trust is a big problem that we've had."

Several dozen people lined upto speak to the council in a meeting that lasted more than three hours. Some people said they had relatives and friends who were the victims of sexual abuse.

Expressing anger

Many residents of the Rolling Ridge subdivision, where the sting house was set up, said they were furious that city officials would try to lure predators into an area filled with children.

William Carley said his daughter went trick-or-treating at the home just days before the sting.

"How does the importing of sexual predators into our city from as far away as Houston demonstrate how our city is fostering a sense of community?" Mr. Carley asked.

The critics stressed that they support locking up pedophiles but that a sting house is unnecessary.

Under Texas law, people who solicit sex from a minor don't have to act on that to be arrested. The Internet discussion is enough for an arrest.

"Why did they have to bring them to our neighborhood?" Stuart Lloyd asked. "I personally feel it was only done for ratings."

'Proud of Murphy'

But other residents supported the sting, saying it might be easier to get a conviction if an offender showed up at a sting house.

"I'm proud of Murphy that they did that," Carol Lindsey said. "I would let them do it in my house if they want to. This type of thing is what it's going to take to get rid of these people."

Some said the sting sends a message that Murphy is tough on pedophiles.

"Any predator who is looking for a place to go and abuse children will know Murphy is not the place to go," Gerry Lington said.

Lara Blum, the real estate agent who rented the house used in the sting, said she would do the same thing again to take a stand against crime.

Many people said council members and the mayor should have been told about the sting, especially with Dateline involved. Others sharply criticized Perverted Justice and called on the city to sever ties with the group and Dateline.

Mr. Baldwin said Perverted Justice supporters have flooded City Council members with e-mails over the past week. The group's Web site said the residents' angry responses were "pure and unadulterated ignorance."

Chief Myrick and Mr. Sherwood said the investigation is ongoing, noting that there are 90 predators identified but not yet arrested.

Though there are no immediate plans for another sting house, the two men did not rule it out. Nor did they rule out working with Perverted Justice in the future.

"I can't say we won't use them or any other outside organization," Chief Myrick said. "We did what we set out to do."

Chief supported

More than a dozen police officers stood up to support Chief Myrick at the meeting.

Mr. Sherwood said he didn't feel his job was in jeopardy but noted that the mayor asked for his resignation last week.

The mayor said a resignation was one of several options considered.

"Our goal is to toughen crime and make this one of the safest communities in the metroplex," Mr. Sherwood said. "This is one part of an ongoing operation."

E-mail kayres@dallasnews.com

{WebVideo} Video: Watch residents and officials sound off on the child predator sting in Murphy.

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