I have to admit….
…I’m a fan of these Dateline NBC “To Catch a Predator” specials. Granted, it seems like that’s all Dateline seems to be running these days, but I sure do enjoy them. Now I’ve had limited exposure to sex offenders through my line of work, and I’ve always been fascinated by what makes them tick. I just can’t understand why they choose to do the things they do, much like I fail to understand how men choose to batter and abuse their spouses or significant others. What’s really mind-boggling to me about these Dateline NBC sex predator investigations is how many of these men they catch have seen or heard about these very same investigations or know who Chris Hansen is.
What’s most amusing to me is the reactions of the men when they find out they’ve been caught with the hand in the cookie jar. I also get a real kick out of the excuses they come up with to try and explain away their behavior, as if there’s some rational explanation for why a 27 year-old man would drive almost two hours to meet with a 13 year-old girl.