Potential predators go south in Kentucky

Walking into our undercover house is 39-year-old John Elliott, a factory worker for a window company. He's driven two-and-a-half hours to meet a girl who told him she was 12 and home alone. It's after one o'clock in the morning.

Decoy: I was just about to watch some TV. Come sit down.
Elliott: OK.

We've hired this 19-year-old actress Casey to be our decoy. Elliott seems to think our decoy is the 12-year-old virgin he's been chatting with online for the past month. Using a screen name so disturbing we can't broadcast it, he tells the decoy about his fantasy of being with a young girl.

(09/22/07 4:20:44 pm): you were asking me about what I was daydreaming about well that's it you nude and me licking you...

He continues to chat with the decoy about his fixation with giving her oral sex and adds that as he's talking to her, he's "nude" and "thinking bad thoughts."

(09/28/07 4:59:44 pm): I just never thought I would openly tell a young girl that
Decoy (09/28/07 5:00:01 pm): is ok with me
(09/28/07 5:00:42 pm): but as soon as I saw your pic I was like man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I give anything I could have one night with her.

At one point he tells her his hobby is taking pictures of himself masturbating and then sends the decoy some of those shots. And he doesn't stop there. Later he sends her child pornography -- a photo of a girl engaging in a sex act.

(09/28/07 5:19:35 pm): that girl is young
Decoy (09/28/07 5:19:40 pm): how young
(09/28/07 5:19:46 pm): I think 14
Decoy (09/28/07 5:19:53 pm): wow

At one point he seems to fear she might be a "police woman" -- but as you can see that doesn't stop him from showing up.

Elliott: Can I use your bathroom?
Decoy: Um, yeah it's the first door on the left.

Decoy: I let him go to the bathroom and when he came out he seemed a little more relaxed. He was a little more comfortable that, you know, "okay, she let me go to the bathroom. We're going to be here awhile."

Elliott: Gosh, you're pretty.
Decoy: Thank you.
Decoy: So, what are your plans and what are you thinking?
Elliott: Kissing you. I mean -- you know what -- how we talked on the internet.

As the decoy presses him, he stops smiling and seems to get suspicious. She asks him about that photo he sent her of the girl receiving oral sex.

Decoy: That picture you sent me with the 14-year-old girl. Was she really 14?
Elliott: I don't know. I just found it off a (unintel) internet when we were talking.
Decoy: Is that like what you wanted to do?
Elliott: That's what I’d want to do. But I can't-- I just-- there's something in me that-- I just-- it's not right, you know. And it's really bothering me.
Chris Hansen: You seemed pretty confident on the internet in terms of what you wanted to do. What was your plan tonight?
Elliott: Actually, I wasn't really going to be doing anything. Because I was already getting too scared and nervous about it.
Chris Hansen: Now, why were you getting so scared and nervous?
Elliott: Well, I just knew it wasn't right.
Chris Hansen: But that's not how you made it sound online.
Elliott: I know.

And what about the photos he sent of himself masturbating?

Chris Hansen: Why'd you do it?
Elliott: Well, it just-- everything in my life is just-- it's all screwed up … I got a bad job. My marriage is not good.
Chris Hansen: Did you bring any condoms?
Elliott: No, I wasn't going to do anything like that?
Chris Hansen: What were you going to do.
Elliott: It was just oral.
Chris Hansen: Just oral?
Elliott: Well, I didn't think that was that bad on oral.
Chris Hansen: She told you she was 12 years old. And you came over here planning to have oral sex with a 12-year-old girl?
Elliott: Yeah, I mean, I’m not going to deny it. I mean, it's-- yeah, I did.

When I ask him about his obscene screen name, he starts to laugh.

Chris Hansen: Oh, you think this is funny?
Elliott: No, I’m--
Chris Hansen: It's a big joke?
Elliott: No, no.
Chris Hansen: Coming over here to have sex with a 12-year-old girl is a big old joke to you?
Elliott: No, no, what I’m getting at is this is the very first time this has ever happened. I've never met--
Chris Hansen: It's the first time you got caught maybe?
Elliott: No.
Chris Hansen: Right, so, what made you decide--
Elliott: Not--
Chris Hansen: --all of the sudden to do it now? I mean, you've been chatting with this girl for a month.
Elliott: I just-- I’ve had that fantasy in the back of my head.
Chris Hansen: Fantasy about being with a young girl?
Elliott: A young girl, yes.
Chris Hansen: Well, what do you think should happen to you?
Elliott: Sent to an island?
Chris Hansen: Sent to an island. You think--
Elliott: Exile.
Chris Hansen: Exile on an island? You still think this is all funny?
Elliott: No, why you're asking me stuff like this?
Chris Hansen: Well, why do you think I’m curious about all this?
Elliott: I can tell you're a therapist. I know. I may not just--
Chris Hansen: You think I’m a therapist?
Elliott: Yeah by the way you're-- your questions?
Chris Hansen: Do you think you came over here to meet this girl and naturally a therapist sat down to help you through your problem?
Elliott: I don't know.
Chris Hansen: Well, do you-- you ever watch television?
Elliott: No, sir.
Chris Hansen: All right, well, there's something I’ve got to tell you. I'm Chris Hansen. And I work for a show called Dateline NBC. And we're doing a story on adults who try to meet young teenagers online for sex. It's called ‘To Catch a Predator.’
Elliott: Oh, OK.
Chris Hansen: So, if there's anything else that you'd like to tell us about your situation, we'd like to hear it.
Elliott: I love my wife and I know it doesn't look like it. I need to see a psychiatrist because the way everything's going in my life.
Chris Hansen: Well, why don't you go ahead. I hope you get that help.

As he gets up to leave and makes the long walk to the door, officers are in position ready to arrest him.

He's taken away in an unmarked car and brought to a police station... Where he's booked, photographed and brought in for questioning.

Agent Katherine Reed: Had an interesting night, haven't you?
John Elliott: Yeah. Really.
Katherine Reed: To say the least.

He is read his rights and Kentucky Bureau of Investigation agent Katherine Reed starts to question him.

Agent Katherine Reed: What brought you here tonight, John?
John Elliott: Just fantasy.
Agent Katherine Reed: What kind of fantasies?
John Elliott: I don't know. To be with young girl. I'm not saying it's right, or anything like that. I don't mean to make it sound that way.
Agent Katherine Reed: So, you knew it was wrong--
John Elliott: Uh-huh (affirm).
Agent Katherine Reed: --when you came here?
Elliott: (nods)

Agent Reed gets the man's consent to search his car and retrieve his computer from his home.

John Elliott: (signing) Oh, gosh.

He is then taken to jail and later brought before a judge.

Elliott: I have never been to jail, or anything like this.

And later brought before a judge…

Judge: You were charged with unlawful transaction with a minor less than 16 years of age, first degree, which is a class b felony. Do you understand that charge?
Elliot: Yes, sir.

The judge sets his bail amount.

Judge: Your bond will stay at $50,000 cash.

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