Reflections on 'To Catch a Predator'

When we began our investigations into online sexual predators, you know, we knew it was an important story. We knew it would be eye opening.  We knew people would say, “Oh, my gosh.  This is really going on.”  But, I had no idea that this thing would resonate with people the way it has.

Once I appeared on Oprah, that changed everything.  We’re talking about a woman here, who herself was victimized by sexual abuse.  And, so when she gets onboard, it makes a real difference. When she weighs in on something, you know, she’s got a loyal, educated viewing audience that pays attention. And, it makes a difference.

I was invited to testify in front of a Congressional Subcommittee in Washington. I think they found it eye opening, and I think it had impact.  And, I believe ultimately it will strengthen laws governing this sort of activity on the internet. 

Being on Oprah and testifying in front of Congress brought a lot of awareness to the issue and so has all the spoofs that have been done.

We also got a call from the Conan O’Brien folks proposing to be a part of a skit for the opening of the Emmy Awards.

I think it was funny in a way where, you know, we didn’t show any disrespect for law enforcement or for people who have been victimized by this crime.

There have been spoofs on "Saturday Night Live," and "Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip." I got a call from the folks at 30 Rock asking me to do a cameo appearance as myself. Essentially the main character’s—boyfriend goes into the kitchen to get something to eat and Tina Faye is flipping through the channels, and “To Catch a Predator” comes on. And, there’s the boyfriend walking into the house with balloons.

It’s amazing to me when you go to YouTube or some of these other sites, you know, where people post these videos that they make, how many parodies are out there.  They take a lot of time to create, and some of them are pretty darn clever.

There are people who have taken issue with what we do. They say perhaps we shouldn’t expose the problem as much as we have, or in the manner we have.  But the vast majority of people stop me to talk about the story and thank me.

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