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Brooke Walker Reporting A two hour, Dateline NBC special this evening looked at sexual predators prowling the internet, looking for teenage victims. NBC had a decoy pose as a teenage girl talk to men online and ask to meet in person. Reporters say the investigation is a wake up call to parents.
Chris Hansen, Dateline NBC: "You have to be realistic. And if say you're on a blog, something like MySpace or Zonga or any of these things, and you're pouring your heart out there and putting pictures out there, don't think that it's just friends who are the only ones seeing these blogs. Predators find these blogs that kids have irresistible."
The Dateline investigation exposed a problem that is a huge concern for local authorities. Utah leads the nation in sexual predator arrests. A recent survey revealed one in five teens has received an online request to engage in sex or to provide sexual information. Experts say the worst thing you can do is to hear that statistic and then say 'not in my house, not to my kid.'
Tonight's Dateline Investigation busted 50 men in just three days, sexual predators confronted and exposed. Dateline teamed up with PervertedJustice.com, an online website where members pose as underage children in Internet chat rooms.
The undercover volunteers then post the shocking dialogue they encounter -- adults soliciting sex with supposed teenage girls. One conversation posted in 2004 led to a Utah arrest.
Ogden Air Force soldier Quincy Jacobs began conversing with someone he thought was 13-year old Maria. It began innocent, as a harmless chat. But finding out her age didn't seem to matter, and soon that harmless chat became dangerous dialogue. Jacobs wanted to meet. When questioned what he had in mind, he responded, "What do you think?"
"Maria" was actually a volunteer with PervertedJustice.com. The volunteer contacted Weber County authorities and an arrest was made.
We showed the dialogue to Ken Wallentine, head of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He says conversations like these happen every day.
Ken Wallentine, Utah Attorney General's Office: "It's a little bit like going trout fishing at the Jones hole fish hatchery and chumming. The folks put a hook out there and its just (snap) that quick."
Last year, state undercover operations resulted in 60 arrests. Lawyers, doctors, church leaders -- there is no one profile.
Ken Wallentine: "Predators figure things out very quickly. If one technique isn't working, they'll switch it up and try a different technique."
Experts say communication is key. Talk to your kids about what and who they associate with online, so if your child is approached in an inappropriate way, they can feel comfortable enough to tell you about it.
