Holy shit - a dude I used to work with got busted on "to catch a predator"!!!

[Jumper Bones]

Didn't know him all that well, and not anybody I hung out with after work, but still worked with him a fair bit. This is all pretty shocking.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...NEWS/704030309

28 charged as predators

Ocean County sting targets men seeking sex with kids
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 04/3/07

BY KATHLEEN HOPKINS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
Story Chat Post Comment

TOMS RIVER — There were a school bus driver, an Air Force mechanic and a lifeguard.

There were an engineer, a court administrator and a pizza maker.

They came from all walks of life and from five states — even as far as Washington state — to have sex with a child, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said.

What they got instead was locked up.

Kelaher announced the arrests of 28 men at a news conference Monday, the culmination of an investigation his Computer Crimes Unit dubbed "Operation 15 Minutes" — the average time the suspects spent talking with the host of a television show that documents the capture of alleged sexual predators.

The men, who are from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington state, range in age from 21 to 60, according to the prosecutor. All had gone to a decoy house in Mantoloking between noon Thursday and 5 p.m. Sunday to meet either a girl or boy between the ages of 12 and 15 for sex, the prosecutor said.

All had previously been engaged in online chatter with people they thought were children, and, as the sexual nature of the Internet conversations progressed, they were given the address, Kelaher said. The beachfront house is off East Avenue at Lyman Street.

When each of the men arrived at the home, they were greeted by adult actors who looked the part of 12- to 15-year-old boys or girls, the prosecutor said. Soon afterward, they were confronted by Chris Hansen, host of "Dateline NBC" series "To Catch a Predator."

The show filmed the encounters for a segment it plans to air in July, Kelaher said.

As the men left the house, they were arrested by officers from various county law-enforcement agencies who participated in the operation, Kelaher said.

All of those arrested were charged with attempted sexual assault and luring, both second-degree crimes carrying potential 10-year prison terms.

Outside group involved

The investigation was conducted at the behest of Perverted Justice, a California-based, nonprofit organization seeking to bring to justice adults who use the Internet to lure children for sexual liaisons, Kelaher said.

"Perverted Justice representatives advised our Computer Crime Unit that they had evidence of a large number of online pedophiles who expressed a strong desire to come to Ocean County and engage in sexual acts with what they believed to be children," Kelaher said.

The Prosecutor's Office reviewed transcripts of undercover online conversations with the people Perverted Justice had identified as pedophiles, and determined that the process complied with the same standards employed by the prosecutor's Computer Crimes Unit in catching online predators, Kelaher said.

"I want to emphasize that the Perverted Justice organization came to us with evidence of potential crimes in Ocean County, and as a result, our office felt that it was incumbent upon us to thoroughly investigate these allegations and take appropriate action," Kelaher said.

"We contacted Ocean County because we saw high activity in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia area," said Dennis Kerr, assistant administrator for Perverted Justice. He called law enforcement here "the most aggressive group we ever worked with. They did it before, they'll do it after, and we will continue to help them, with or without television cameras."

Perverted Justice and Dateline NBC jointly arranged to rent the decoy home to continue online conversations with the suspected pedophiles, Kelaher said. Of 35 people who were given the address, 28 showed up at the decoy house and engaged the actors in "revealing conversation" before Hansen came out and confronted them, Kerr said.

Kerr said previous broadcasts of similar sting operations in other locations by Dateline NBC may have deterred some people from engaging in such activity.

But when asked about the television show's value in deterring the activity, Kelaher said some of the defendants arrested in Operation 15 Minutes "recognized Chris Hansen, and a couple reached out to shake hands with him."

The prosecutor said, '"I don't know if we are going to stop it. . . . It's a widespread situation."

A nationwide effort

Kerr said Perverted Justice operates throughout the country under agreements with law-enforcement agencies from small police departments to the federal Department of Homeland Security. In existence for under four years, its work has led to the convictions of 150 pedophiles, with 300 cases pending in the courts, Kerr said.

The organization so far has never lost a case in court, he said.

"We can be anywhere in America," he said. "A lot of people think this can't happen in their town. The Internet changes that dynamic."

Twenty-one of those arrested in Operation 15 Minutes had posted bail ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. Seven remained in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, on Monday afternoon, their bail ranging from $50,000 to $150,000.

Those who had not made bail made their initial court appearances Monday before Superior Court Judge Barbara Ann Villano, who advised the shackled prisoners of their rights and told them if they were to make bail, like the others, they could not use the Internet or they would violate conditions of their bail.

Assistant prosecutors Madelin Einbinder and Hillary Bryce have been assigned to prosecute the defendants and will be presenting the cases to a grand jury in the near future, Kelaher said.

Staff writer Margaret F. Bonafide contributed to this report.

[pappag]

Huh? The article mentions no names.

[BigAirSkier1580]

"So you're here for sex..."

[13]

i'm just waiting for someone from my hometown to be busted on that show.

that or a maggot.

[Jumper Bones]

if you go to perverted-justice.org (or com or whatever), they have all the names. There's another app article with all the names too. The one I worked with was Ernest Timmons.

pretty shocking.

[Art Shirk]

if you go to perverted-justice.org (or com or whatever), they have all the names. There's another app article with all the names too. The one I worked with was Ernest Timmons.

pretty shocking.

It's shocking that a guy named Ernest Timmons likes to diddle kids?

[Odin]

that or a maggot.

Chris Hanson

So In your internet chat with this....14 year old minor.... you said (and I quote) "I want to give you face shots, you will love it. I'll drop the knee and my spray will hit you in the face. We can play with some twin tips too. I know you are going to like that. I can bring some beer too. Beer goes great with shredding the gnar.

[H-man]

I'll drop the knee and my spray will hit you in the face.

Perp is obviously a pinhead. That should narrow it down.

Do not mess with my CSI skills bitches...

[BigAirSkier1580]

Hahahaha.

[The AD]

He was just trying to do some night skiing...just skiing at night, with the 14 year old daughter of the dean.

[Jumper Bones]

It's shocking that a guy named Ernest Timmons likes to diddle kids?

I understand what you're saying, but he normally goes by Ernie. Not much you can do about your name, it is what it is.

The shocking part is knowing him...anyway guess I'll have to see this when it airs in July. Weird.

[BigAirSkier1580]

I understand what you're saying, but he normally goes by Ernie. Not much you can do about your name, it is what it is.

The shocking part is knowing him...anyway guess I'll have to see this when it airs in July. Weird.

You know you CANNOT wait to hear the dialogue of his online conversation.

[HotCarl]

I understand what you're saying, but he normally goes by Ernie. Not much you can do about your name, it is what it is.

The shocking part is knowing him...anyway guess I'll have to see this when it airs in July. Weird.

Don't forget to post on the night that it airs. I love that fuckin show.

[Benny Profane]

I'm your wicked Uncle Ernie
I'm glad you won't see or hear me
As I fiddle about
Fiddle about
Fiddle about !

Your mother left me here to mind you
Now I'm doing what I want to
Fiddling about
Fiddling about
Fiddle about!

Down with the bedclothes
Up with the nightshirt!
Fiddle about
Fiddle about
Fiddle about !

You won't shout as I fiddle about
Fiddle about
Fiddle about
Fiddle about !
Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.

[booner]

Mitch Cumsteen was on "To Catch A Predator"???

[leroy jenkins]

God I fucking hate this show. Its all about demonizing people and making a public spectacle out of them so the rest of us can pat ourselves on the back and feel better about all the fucked up shit we've done.

Yea, ok, some creepy old dude wanting to have sex with a 14 year old is pretty fucked up, but lets face it, its not the end of the world. The righteous infallable american public just has to make it publicly clear that they think it is such a terrible thing so everyone knows just how moral and unperverted they are, because they all have thier own private repressed little perverted thoughts to convince themselves don't exist.

There are far worse crimes, and much more fucked up things going on that would be a far better use of time energy and money to try and minimize. The thing is, sex, young girls, and public humiliation are what gets ratings.

Bring back the colloseum, the lions, lets tear the sinners and infidels appart.

[bklyn]

^^ You will think differently if/when you have children or date/marry a person who is scarred for life by some "creepy older guy".

It is a terrible thing. It drives people to despair for years afterward. You sound clueless about the consequences.

Criminals get caught on video all the time. Sometimes they are spectacles.

[Tippster]

Yea, ok, some creepy old dude wanting to have sex with a 14 year old is pretty fucked up, but lets face it, its not the end of the world ... There are far worse crimes, and much more fucked up things going on that would be a far better use of time energy and money to try and minimize.

As a father of a 6yo girl all I have to say is:

Fuck you.

The only thing worse than Pedophilia is .... nothing. Even murder doesn't rate IMHO.

Really creepy thing about this story is that we spend a shitload of time at my Inlaws' beach house 5 miles down the road.

[leroy jenkins]

I am not very religious, but I think the way I feel about such things is "Love the sinner, but don't condone the sin"

Its not the fact that they are busting people for this that I don't like. Its the fact they make a spectacle about it so everyone can feel better about themselves. Demonizing people does nothing to further our society or solve any problems.

Murder, rape, violent and sexual abuse are all far bigger problems than what these guys are getting busted for. I mean, as far as predators go, these guys are pretty low on the scale of fuckedupedness. Still not right, but I just think making a show like this out of it is fucked up in its own right. I see it as similar (although not quite as bad) as child molesting priests condeming gays.

[smitchell333]

I am not very religious, but I think the way I feel about such things is "Love the sinner, but don't condone the sin"

Its not the fact that they are busting people for this that I don't like. Its the fact they make a spectacle about it so everyone can feel better about themselves. Demonizing people does nothing to further our society or solve any problems.

Murder, rape, violent and sexual abuse are all far bigger problems than what these guys are getting busted for. I mean, as far as predators go, these guys are pretty low on the scale of fuckedupedness. Still not right, but I just think making a show like this out of it is fucked up in its own right. I see it as similar (although not quite as bad) as child molesting priests condeming gays.

What the hell are are talking about?
"...So everyone can feel better about themselves..."

Open mouth....Stick in foot.

[leroy jenkins]

What the hell are are talking about?
"...So everyone can feel better about themselves..."

Open mouth....Stick in foot.

What the fuck are YOU talking about?

Thats why I think people like to watch that show, is because they look at the perverts and can say "well at least I'm better than those sickos"


Whatever. I guess hate is a good thing.

[dirtybryan]

Leroy way to have some grace when actually making somewhat of a valid point.

Part of me see's it as a public service like the rest of you, but part of me see's it as a little primitive. There is no denying how much the show sensationalizes each encounter. I subscribe to the philosophy that are no truly evil people, just victims and ignorance. Research shows that nearly all sexual predators were victims at sometime themselves and there is no denying something has to be wrong inside their head. I don't think that this excuses their actions, but in someways Hanson might as well be ridiculing anyone with a problem. Just some food for thought.

Do I think the show does some good? Yes.
Is the show run with tact and grace? No.
Do the ends justify the means? Maybe. These child molester stings have been in place before dateline brought it to public attention. Are they more effective with dateline behind it? I don't know. Surely the show helps fund this project and increases public awareness. But I do think these stings would be just as successful without the show.

Granted I still watch it when it is on like a person watches a car-wreck and I do laugh at the absurdity of some of these situations. But I should be working on a research paper right now.

[Tuckerman]

The only thing worse than Pedophilia is .... nothing. Even murder doesn't rate IMHO.

As the father of an 8yo girl I would have to agree and add that Pedophilia should carry a mandatory life fuck you in the ass prison stay. I also would feel like some kind of failure as a parent if my 13/14 yo girl was trolling chat rooms for sex and inviting creeps to my pad.

[BigAirSkier1580]

The sad part is it is becoming VERY common for 13/14 year olds to be slutting it up.

13-14 is the new 16-17.

[leroy jenkins]

I subscribe to the philosophy that are no truly evil people, just victims and ignorance. Research shows that nearly all sexual predators were victims at sometime themselves and there is no denying something has to be wrong inside their head.

Bingo. So by blklyntracys logic, we should really empathize with these people, but oh wait, we can't do that, we need to act as if they are a separate species than us.

And a few people brought up "as the father of an 6 or 8 year old..." Well I think if its a victim that young it makes it far worse. On the show, most of the girls these guys are supposed to be meeting are just a little too young. In fact, they have to be careful where they set the sting, because some states, a lot of these guys wouldn't have been commiting a crime.

As the father of an 8yo girl I would have to agree and add that Pedophilia should carry a mandatory life fuck you in the ass prison stay. I also would feel like some kind of failure as a parent if my 13/14 yo girl was trolling chat rooms for sex and inviting creeps to my pad.

I don't know about the worse than murder thing, and I definitly don't think consentual sex with a teenager is worse than violent rape, but you do make a good point by mentioning that half the problem is the girls that feel unfullfilled enough that they look for attention from these kinds of guys. Part of that is normal, I think at a certain age, girls start realizing guys will look at them so they start doing things to attract attention from guys, just because its new and exciting. Its part of growing up, and its normal, girls learn to flirt long before they're mature enough to do anything else. That doesn't mean they will go and try and get laid, thats where the line between normal teenage girls coming of age behavior turns into a pretty sad attempt to get the love and attention they aren't getting.

The same thing with the perps, if one or two guys do something sick, they've got problems, but this many guys doing this and this many girls playing into that are really too young to (I'm not speaking of the show, I mean all the girls in real life) represents a bigger problem with our society.


I don't get the anger you guys responded with though. I mean, I know that naturally people have feelings of anger and disgust when they hear about guys like this, but take a step back from those feelings for a second and look at your values and feeling about the whole human race. Isn't compassion always a good thing, even with (especially with) people that have done fucked up things?