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 predators08:55 AM CST on Sunday, November 12, 2006
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.
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.
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.
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."
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."
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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7 comments:
you know how sick. I think they should be caught no matter how they do it.
I think whatever it takes to catch them, should be done.....
Becky
I'm sorry, but I have no pity for anybody who can molest children. This is a huge huge issue for me, it turns my stomach.
Julie
The man was obviously carrying a pretty heavy burden. They have got to get these perverts off the street. Anyone not living under a rock ought to be aware of Dateline's stings. Just a few ago a little girl on my street had a man expose himself to her while she was walking home. Then just last week a man in the same kind of car that looked similar to this guy (from the girl's description) tried to grab a 9 yr old boy (in another neighborhood) the boy knew to yell, kick and scream and fight and got away. He also got a partial license plate number. (How cool is that?) I hope this creep is caught. So I say you play...you pay`!!
Hope you are having a good week and you have a nice Thanksgiving.
Hugs, Barb
People are messed up these days. My friend can't even walk to the drug store without some guys driving back and forth honking there horns and yelling at her. It's even worse when you have 40 year old men that are married instant messaging 13 year olds and trying to have sex with them. I think that those men deserve whatever punishment comes to them.
Jarrel
This story is close to home as I grew up with abuse in the home and I totally feel strong that they should pursue these problems and prevent them in anyway possible. My life has been totally messed up from a situation that went undetected far too long. I hope they get more and more aggressive in this arena and that justice will prevail.
Lisa
Isn't it a shame that the DA won't prosecute, they are stalling, and downright refusing because this went public on national television. The DA needs to go, the entire Murphy City Council needs to go, especially those newly elected and calling themselves the "Fantastic Four", more like the "Fantastic Fantasies". The City instead of supporting their local law enforcement , the City Manager, and pride that goes with all of the deterrents against such perpetrators, is worried about a few loudly vocal individuals who are more concerned about the crime statistics for their precious city, house values (which aren't affected), their precious neighborhoods that were used, and supposedly the embarrassment the city has received. The only embarrassment the city is receiving is the self-centered community. I am wondering how many families moved into this city that takes care of things, has such projects, and the knowledge that the City of Murphy is willing to do things as such to KEEP these perverts OUT of their community. The negativity of such individuals to be concerned more for themselves is revolting and just as sick as the perverts. I considered this as a positive move and an great achievement for the city. Who wants to be in a city of such negativity and self-centered concerns? I want to be in a community that takes care of their people, takes measures to do such things, and project fear upon such perverts/criminals (basically to stay away), not a community where the perverts can divide the people based upon their own ignorance and selfish ambitions and now have every advantage of moving into this community because of the lack of support for law enforcement and the individuals involved in such an operation.
Pride and congratulations to the law enforcement and city manager. Booooooo to the city council, mayor, and district attorney.
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