I’m always conflicted when it comes to online “To Catch a Predator” vigilantes.
On one hand, I genuinely believe the world is a better place because of them.
The people they beat with their fists, and shame publicly on the internet clearly deserve it.
Anything people can do to deter that bang out of behavior is a net positive for society.
If you’ve never seen the videos, they usually go something like this.
I think those guys did a good thing.
I don’t quite trust them.
Say I met a friend of a friend at bar.
Later in the night I ask him what he does for work.
He tells me hunts pedophiles.
I just know from that point forward, I’m not looking at him the same way again.
I’d look at him with both a healthy respect, and a healthy skepticism.
Because what are those conversations like?
Are they as simple as, “Hello, I am 13 years old and a girl.
Meet me in aisle 26 on Saturday, March 15th at 3:30pm.”
Then the predator says, “Ok yes.
I’ll be the man who looks exactly like a pedophile.”
If that’s all it takes, then great.
Nothing weird about that.
But I’m guessing it’s not always that easy.
So how far are they willing to go to lure someone in?
How badly do they want to get TikTok famous?
How deep into character do they get?
What got them into this?
That would make sense.
Or is it just for the love of the game?
Do they get a rush from doing it?
What key in of rush is it?
It’s very bizarre.
I just feel like some of these people should also be monitored.
Just to be safe.
The ends justify the means, but we should maybe keep an eye on the means as well.
Imagine you get the wrong guy.
They do their whole aggressive, “DID YOU SEND THIS?!
IS THIS YOU?!
WE KNOW IT’S YOU!”
Obviously the man denies it.
But the guilty guys deny it too.
I’ve never seen a video where they really give the guy a chance to explain himself.
They just immediately start in on him.
Sometimes the cops show up.
I don’t even know at what point an innocent guy would get a chance to prove his innocence.
That’s an immensely fucked up situation.
That’s a wild fucking way to make a living.
But I guess it’s noble thing to do.
You’re essentially sacrificing your life and the way people look at you for the greater good.
And I’m sure the good ones have it down to a science.
Like the people in this article.
In reality it’s dangerous as hell.
They have no idea what they’re getting into.
It’s a dangerous game.
You CANNOT fuck up.
One student reportedly punched the man in the head.
Three big mistakes stick out to me here.
Their first was trying to outsource a predator when they attend a Catholic university.
Worry about the problems in your own house before you go trying to save the rest of the world.
Secondly, they tried to reel in a 100 pound tuna in their first trip out on the boat.
They tried to bag a troop.
Not that troops get a pass.
But again, “To Catch a Predator” is a high risk game.
If you legitimately did catch a troop, it’s undoubtedly a juicer story.
It will get more clicks than a run-of-the-mill scumbag.
But if you fuck up… oh boy.
Now you’ve committed treason.
Now the online hate has a little extra stank on it.
I mean what on earth did they think was going to happen?
Maybe this Brainard girl didn’t file the police report until she knew the victim already had?
you’ve got the option to’t even join Tinder unless you’re 18.
It’s an age verified app.
What a terrible app to use for predator hunting.
So legally they’d be in the wrong either way.
You gotta know your state’s age of consent laws if you’re going to play this game.
That’s a bad week.
There almost has to be more to the story that we don’t know yet.
I have a hard time believing these students were really that fucking stupid.
Maybe the group who chased this guy down had bad information?
But this Kelsy Brainard girl is the girl who’s profile was used.
She’s the one who filed the report.
She must have at minimum seen the messages.
Regardless, the students maintain their innocence.
The lawyer for Trudeau, Robert Iacovelli, said afterward that shes innocent.
And because I don’t want to get sued, everything about this case is still alleged.
Maybe there’s more to the story.
It would be one thing if it were a 50-year old man she was meeting up with.
Which would still be legal, but I can at least wrap my mind around the anger there.
Having an 18-year old meet up with a 22-year old and thinking that justifies an angry mob.
Leave the predator hunting to the people who actually know what they’re doing.
You’re going to end up ruining it for the people who are actually effective.
