'To Catch a Predator' III

Our first two stings averaged 18 men over three days. Amazingly, in southern California, on the first day alone, 14 men arrive for what they think will be a possible meeting for sex with a 12 or 13-year-old.

On the second day, it gets so busy we actually have three men show up within minutes of each other.

Three men arrive at the same time
Unlike our previous investigations, this time detectives from the Riverside County Sheriff’s department are waiting outside. A Perverted-Justice volunteer alerts the detectives about the pile up. They’re staked out in a mobile home next door.

One man pulled up, parks across the street and waits. While he’s sitting in his car, another walks up and starts pacing in front of our house. We soon discovered yet another potential predator parked on a side street.

Finally, the man standing in front of the house, who calls himself “jazzeman04,” decides to come up the driveway and into the house.

He’s 19-year-old Erik Pallesen, there to meet a girl he thinks is 12 years old. Instead, he meets me.

Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent (hidden camera footage): May I help you?

Erik Pallesen: Who is?

Hansen: Why don’t you come and have a seat over here please.

Meanwhile, outside, both of the other men continue to sit in their cars.

Inside, “jazzeman04,” decides to cut our conversation short. He makes a run for it.

The detectives spring in to action arresting the man sitting in his car across the street, then “jazzman04,” and then the man parked on the side street. This all happens less than six minutes from the time the first car pulls up.

As for that man who sat in his car while another man walked in the house? He’s a criminal investigator, a federal agent working for the department of Homeland Security.

At one point, the crowd of potential predators gets so large, Sgt. Chad Bianco, who has a total of 15 people working for him, runs out of manpower.

Sgt. Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff's department: I had no one available. We had all of my investigators were dealing with people that we had arrested and there was… you still had people coming to the house.

The sergeant is forced to put suspects in the mobile home until back-up arrives, that way he can go out and arrest more. The handcuffed men are told to keep quiet.

Sgt. Bianco: They were very cooperative. They knew there were other suspects that were arriving. They knew we were going out to arrest them and we told them that they better not run. 

The next suspects to arrive were actually a couple, two men who were hoping to have sex with a boy. After sitting in their car for awhile, they decide to come in, but then appear to get cold feet. That’s when the investigators move in.

There’s yet another twosome: 20-year-old Sebastian Rodriguez arrives after chatting online about sex with a decoy posing as a 12-year-old girl. He’s even brought along a friend.

Hansen (hidden camera footage): So what are you guys up to?

Sebastian Rodriguez: Nothing.

Hansen: Nothing?

Rodriguez: We just came to hang out.

Sebastian also brought condoms and Mike’s Hard Lemonade, just what the decoy asked for.

Hansen: What did your buddy Sebastian here tell you about what was going to happen here tonight?

David, Sebastian’s friend: Really nothing. I just came along. I’m just a tag along so...

Hansen: You’re just a tag along.

Rodriguez: I really wasn’t planning on doing anything, sir.

Hansen: You got Mike’s Hard Lemonade. You got condoms. Sounds like you were planning to have sex with the girl.

Rodriguez: I’m not sir.

Hansen: But why would you bring this stuff? How does that look?

Rodriguez: I know sir, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to go to jail.

When Sebastian and his friend leave, it appears they think they’re off the hook. But not for long. They are arrested as well.

On day two, 22 men show up at our house, and 21 men are arrested. Sebastian’s friend was taken in for questioning and later released. Our two day total comes to 35 and with one more day to go, they just keep coming.

Day three
26-year-old Christopher Urban calls himself “six-pack-so-cali.”

Del (hidden camera footage): Did you remember to bring condoms?

Christopher Urban: Yup.

Urban: I gotta wash my hands all right?

Del: what?

Urban: I gotta wash my hands cool?

Del: Okay.

Chris Hansen: Paper towels are right over here (Comes in unexpectedly and hands him towel)

He’s at the house after making plans for sex with a 13-year-old girl named Kelly. He’s brought along Bacardi Rum.

Hansen: You came to see Kelly. How old is Kelly?

Urban: Kelly’s way too young for me.

Hansen: Way too young for you, then why did you come here?

Urban: I came here to tell her that actually.

Hansen: To tell her that she’s too young?

Urban: Actually, I did yeah.

That’s what he says now. But when he was online, “six-pack-so-cali” not only had a sexually disgusting chat, he also turned on his Web cam and sent photos of himself naked close ups we can’t show you.

Hansen: Did you transmit this photo right here?

Urban: Oh my!! I sent I didn’t know I sent that one.

Hansen: You didn’t know.

Urban: Well, actually, yeah I did, but wow.

Hansen: To a 13-year-old girl?

Urban: I’m sorry, you’re right, you’re right. I know I wasn’t thinking that’s what — even coming down here. I mean look at me. I didn’t even take a shower. If I was coming to do something like that, I would have taken a shower. I mean that’s the first thing you do. I mean look at me, I’m so dirty.

Hansen: I’ll tell you what’s dirty, is this conversation you had. (Chris points to the chat log.)

It was the first time we’d heard the “I didn’t take a shower” defense. He can try telling that to the cops.

More common excuses, defenses
“Producerpaul2001” is Paul Constantineseu, a guitar salesman claims he’s at the wrong address.

Paul Constantineseu (hidden camera footage): I’m not really sure it’s the right address I’ve never really been out here.

Hansen: This is the address that you were given

Hansen: So you have wine, you have condoms and you have a camera.

Constantineseu: Yeah.

And his next excuse? He got her age wrong.

Constantineseu: Well, I thought she was 24, that’s why I came over. You know, my computer kind of flipped out and I thought she said she was 24 ‘cause I was talking to a couple of different people at the same time.

Perhaps his computer flipped out when he typed in his own age. He said he was 24 years old, he’s really 40. And as for the decoy, the chat log shows she told him she was 13.

Hansen: “I’ll teach you everyhing k baby.” (reading chat log to him)

Constantineseu: You know, I’m sorry sir I’m in wrong place.

Hansen: “all positions and techniques.”

“Producerpaul2001” leaves and you know what happens next.

A man with the screenname “guy-from-mars83,” seems to thinks it’s perfectly legal for an adult to talk online to a 13-year-old about meeting for sex and then show up at her house. He’s 23-year-old Inderjeet Singh.

Inderjeet Singh: Well, you can talk, you can converse, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to do it, unless you catch me at one point doing it.

Hansen: So you say I would have to catch you having sex with a 13-year old girl before you could get in trouble.

Singh: Before you can put me against the law, yeah.

Hansen: So are you a lawyer?

Singh: No, I’m not a lawyer.

Hansen: Well, you sound pretty familiar with the law.

Singh: Well I’m pretty much into academics.

Hansen: You’re into academics, well let me correct you a little bit on how the law works.

But it turns out, I don’t have to. The sheriff’s detectives are only too happy to give “guy-from-mars83” a crash course in how the law works.

This next man who arrived told us he’s was trying sell a house. 65-year-old Charles Harding was screenamed “hardchuck1.” He was at the house to meet a 13-year-old boy. Harding jumped right away when he saw me. I was about the last person he's expecting to see.

Hansen: What are you up to today?

Chuck Harding: Nothing. Call talked with a gentleman. I have a place that I have for sale so..

Hansen: Oh, you’re selling a house.

Harding : Yes and he was interested.

Hansen: Well, here’s what doesn’t make sense about that, how is a 13-year-old going to afford to buy your home?

Harding: Why, I didn’t know how old he was I didn’t ask, I didn’t stop to ask his age.

Hansen: Well, Chuck the only problem with that story is that I have the transcripts of your conversation with Luke.

(chat transcript) what are you looking for I could be our grandpa into young boys your age love to cuddle them, carress their body work my—and it goes on from there

Finally, he decides to tell the truth. And he actually even admits that he might have had sex with the boy.

Hansen: But if he would have consented to having sex, what would have happened?

Harding: I’d be very hesitant at first. If he continued, then possibly we would have had had it.

Hansen: Possibly, you would have had sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Harding: If you know I felt uncomfortable and I felt that he was you know, not fit or anything I wouldn't.

Hansen: Not fit? How can a 13-year-old boy be fit to have sex with a 65-year-old man? Don’t you see an issue there?

Harding: Well, I see nothing wrong with cuddling and caressing.

Then he talks about a book he reads that fills him with fantasies.

Harding: It deals with younger-older. You know, father-son.

Hansen: You’re talking about fathers having sex with their sons, and grandfathers having sex with their grandsons?

Harding: Doctors with their patients, with the young patients employees with their young patients.

Hansen: You talk about this like it’s some sort of hobby— like building train sets. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

Harding: It’s a book that I read and I fantasize.

There’s much more to this man’s story, as police will find out.

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