John Walsh And Miss America Shouldn't Participate In A Police Sting
Robert Paul Reyes
April 28, 2007
From MSNBC.Com
"Miss America Lauren Nelson and veteran fugitive-hunter John Walsh of “America's Most Wanted” recently teamed up with police in a New York City suburb to catch suspected online predators — “Dateline NBC”-style.
Nelson posed as a young girl in phone calls initiated after online chats in which suspects allegedly engaged in inappropriate conversation, sometimes exposing themselves via Web cams."
Miss America should be commended for taking up the cause of protecting children from Internet predators, but she has no business participating in a police sting.
Police officers undergo rigorous training to make sure they don't entrap suspects. It's making a mockery of law and order for an untrained civilian to participate in a sting operation.
If the suspects ensnared by the sting operation can afford good lawyers, they should be able to get the charges dismissed.
From MSNBC.Com:
"For Walsh, the key to the sting's success was having Nelson actually speak to the suspects on the telephone to trick them into believing that the meetings they hoped to arrange were with a 14-year-old girl and not a police trap. When the men showed up, they were dressed down by Walsh, as police officers slapped handcuffs on them."
What happened to the concept of "innocent until proven guilty"? Why do the cops allow a civilian to ambush and "dress down" a suspect while he is being arrested?
By their grandstanding actions, Walsh and Nelson are accomplishing the seemingly impossible: Garnering sympathy for child predators.
Child molestation is a horrible crime and I despise those found guilty of this crime by a court of law, but Walsh and Nelson shouldn't exploit this issue for publicity.
Miss America should content herself with doing Public Service Announcements warning parents about online predators and leave law enforcement to the professionals.
"Miss America Lauren Nelson and veteran fugitive-hunter John Walsh of “America's Most Wanted” recently teamed up with police in a New York City suburb to catch suspected online predators — “Dateline NBC”-style.
Nelson posed as a young girl in phone calls initiated after online chats in which suspects allegedly engaged in inappropriate conversation, sometimes exposing themselves via Web cams."
Miss America should be commended for taking up the cause of protecting children from Internet predators, but she has no business participating in a police sting.
Police officers undergo rigorous training to make sure they don't entrap suspects. It's making a mockery of law and order for an untrained civilian to participate in a sting operation.
If the suspects ensnared by the sting operation can afford good lawyers, they should be able to get the charges dismissed.
From MSNBC.Com:
"For Walsh, the key to the sting's success was having Nelson actually speak to the suspects on the telephone to trick them into believing that the meetings they hoped to arrange were with a 14-year-old girl and not a police trap. When the men showed up, they were dressed down by Walsh, as police officers slapped handcuffs on them."
What happened to the concept of "innocent until proven guilty"? Why do the cops allow a civilian to ambush and "dress down" a suspect while he is being arrested?
By their grandstanding actions, Walsh and Nelson are accomplishing the seemingly impossible: Garnering sympathy for child predators.
Child molestation is a horrible crime and I despise those found guilty of this crime by a court of law, but Walsh and Nelson shouldn't exploit this issue for publicity.
Miss America should content herself with doing Public Service Announcements warning parents about online predators and leave law enforcement to the professionals.
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