Are pedophile-hunting cops hurting kids?

Boy, people seem to be all over the place on this subject. I think some of them are way out of line.

The New York Times is running a series on Internet pedophiles. It is very scary as there are too many ways for these people to gain access to others that also prey on children. I suggest you find and read these articles, as you seem to be interesting in helping solve this problem. I can understand your concern but the police have to start somewhere. Is there a better a way? Only time will tell.

I am not familiar with the tactics of those who investigate and prosecute pedophiles but I wouldn't think that they would be playing the part of the pedophile and therefore showing illegal photos, but a child. They aren't trying to trap children who fall prey to pedophiles but the pedophiles themselves.

It is my understanding that chat-rooms is the first stage of the intended sexual assault and since there are others in the room, I don't think they would post inappropriate pictures.

Unless I am naive -- which I have been called and find myself to be so far too often -- I don't think you can break a law to enforce a law legally. If you are a lawyer, you should know the answer to that question.

Your question and theory is highly unlikely.

so which you have chose to develop right into a paedo-Bounty Hunter? nicely, solid success to you - i individually does no longer 'bypass it on my own' without the assure of police help and backup if required. If however you relatively have the opt to make a distinction to human beings's lives, how approximately turning out to be a non-murderous vigilante and collaring the fairly some many murderers and muggers that inhabit this 'elementary isle' that we live on? There are a hell of plenty greater of them approximately than paedophiles, so your possibilities of catching one are extremely greater beneficial. of course, your possibilities of being shot or knifed are additionally extremely greater beneficial, so i assume paedophiles are a severe high quality delicate objective. Or in case you have chose to rather make a distinction to human beings's lives, how approximately going and helping out interior the help stations interior the third international international locations - you may supply first help (with coaching) and help feed the ravenous. yet to do some thing like which you do of course could desire to be compassionate and rather worrying. Oh, and you'd be removed from domicile a good bit, yet each and every little thing solid comes at a value. as much as you relatively, yet solid success!

No. You misunderstand what they do. The cops do not talk to the kids. They play the role of children and correspond with the pedophile. They arrange a "meeting" with the guy, who is arrested as soon as he shows up.

As far as I understand, Police officer will act as a child hoping Pedophiles will contact them. So they are not engaging anything with real child. They are engaging with adult who serf the chat room hunting for their victims.

This is good way to catch those SOBs' . You should watch 20/20.

They are posing as the kids, and I don't believe they send "sexually provocative photos". When I worked on one sting a few years ago, if the perv wanted a photo we would send a partial scan of a school photo that did not show the face, and tell him the scanner malfunctioned so an acutual child's picture wasn't used.

As a mother I'm glad they're on there, I wish there were twice as many of them getting these sick bastards off the streets.

Because their purpose is to not really engage in these activities with kids. And normally, they act as if they were the child..not the pedophile. What purpose would it serve for them to engage in that type of talk with children?

Like the other two smart people said they are not the pedophiles they are acting as the kids. DUH!!! how stupid can you get. Why would a COP get on there and hurt kids when they are trying to help them you need to think about things before you ask them.

The cops aren't there to interact with kids. They are there to pretend to BE kids and interact with pedophiles.

You are a lawyer ? You have all this backwards. Answer #1 gave you the right answer.

And city girl doesn't know very much. She is still "wet behind the ears."