A parade of potential predators in a small town

Our latest computer predator investigation is in full swing. All 11 of our hidden cameras are in place. Any suspected sex predator who approaches the house will be videotaped from the minute he pulls into the driveway until the sheriff’s men spring into action.

More than 20 Perverted-Justice members are in Ohio and surrounding area chat rooms posing as 12-to-15-year-olds. They’ve set up profiles using pictures of young teens, and posted personal information like age, sex and location. Some of the profiles are on social networking Web sites like MySpace and Teenspot.   The decoys from Perverted-Justice are waiting to be instant messaged by a potential predator.

In a matter of seconds, men start hitting on the decoys. One man, screenname “greeneyed121,” even goes so far as to suggest phone sex. He found our 13 year old decoy, “katiedidsings” on MySpace.com. He types:

“greeneyed121” (chat log): I have an idea but its a little weird.

"katiedidsings": wat

“greeneyed121”: I did it with another girl but I don’t know if you want too. Call me up and let me listen to you as you (blank) yourself to orgasm.

The decoy quickly declines the offer saying her dad wants her to get off the computer and come downstairs.

“Greeneyed121” doesn’t seem to mind, after all, he’s already made a date for sex with her in person. “Katiedidsings” told him she would be home alone for the weekend.

“greeneyed121": I have good news, I can come over Friday and stay the night too!!!

“Greeneyed121” is scheduled to arrive at our undercover house around noon. Sure enough, here arrived right on time. Our hidden cameras are rolling.

He’s 23-year-old Nathan Downhour. He says he’s a student at an evangelical college. And what does he plan to do with 'katiedidsings'? His chat log is quite explicit.

"greeneyed121:" My hands will travel down your smooth body, till we reach your pants. Here we will remove your pants and underwear, revealing your beautiful nude body.

And like so many of the other potential predators, his chat turns too X-rated for network television. And he showed up in the undercover house’s living room.

Decoy (on hidden camera): Hey Nathan?

“greeneyed121” or Nathan Downhour: Yup.

Decoy: I just cut the crap out of my toe, I’m getting a band aid, hold out at the kitchen counter okay?

Downhour: Okay.

Decoy: I’ll be right back down.

Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent (walks out): Why don’t you do me a favor and just go have a seat right at the other side of the bar please?

He drove more than an hour to keep his date for sex with a girl he thought was 13 and home alone.  But he says by the time he got to the door he changed his mind.

Downhour: I didn’t know if I would really be able to go through with it.

Hansen: But you walked in the door.

And as I read some of what he said online, he doesn’t sound like a man who plans to back out.

Hansen: You get into very graphic detail—

Downhour: um-hmm .

Hansen: (reading from chat) --about what you want to do to her. "Fantasies dreamed up on line or in your mind, things you might not be able to willing to do when it comes down to it.   I will gently cup and massage your soft breasts, kiss them and run my tongue along them."

Hansen: Then it goes on from there in graphic detail. What are we to make of this?

Downhour: I’m not sure, I don’t know what the law says about this.

Hansen: Well, it’s illegal.

Downhour: But nothing has happened yet.

Hansen: Well I know, but it’s illegal for someone to use the Internet to solicit somebody who’s 13 for sex.

Downhour: That, I was unaware of.

Another stranger has just pulled in the driveway.

Online he calls himself “jteno72960.” He’s also been chatting with the decoy 'katiedidsings'—remember her profile says she’s only 13. He tells her he’s a fireman. Then he gets worried she’s a cop.

jteno72960 (chat log): how do i know your not a cop?? lol

katiedidsings:umm im not a cop

katiedidsings:how do i prov it?

jteno72960: call my cell and leave a sexy message

She does, and then he wants to take it even further and moves on to the subject of phone sex. He asks, “You like hearing guys moan? I want you to call now and make me moan.”  "Katiedidsings" says “I will hear ya when you get here.” 

And there’s something else: He seems to have a thing for feet.

jteno72960:want me to rub your feet

katiedidsings:ya

jteno72960:mmmmmmmmm now i’m getting turned on.

The man with the apparent foot fetish is really 21-year-old Jason Schoeppner.

“jteno72960” or Jason Schoeppner (hidden camera footage): Where you at?

Decoy: I gotta go get a band aid before I bleed all over the rug

Schoeppner: oh ok

Hansen (walks out): Hey, why don’t you hand out and have a seat right over at the bar for me will you?  What’s going on?

Schoeppner: Ah (covers his face) (pause)

Hansen: Why don’t you tell me to get things started, tell me what was happening.

Schoeppner: I don’t know.

Hansen: You don’t know.

Schoeppner: I do and I’m sorry.

Hansen: You’re sorry for what?

Schoeppner: For being a friggin’ idiot.

And it turns out Jason really does work at a firehouse— as a paramedic.

Hansen: Now in your chat here you essentially say you’re a firefighter.

Schoeppner: Yeah.

Hansen: Don’t you think that might impress a 13-year-old girl?

Schoeppner: Well—I’m sorry—I—

Hansen: What was your plan here today?

Schoeppner: I don’t know.

Hansen: You don’t know?

Schoeppner: I seriously don’t know.

Hansen: Well it looks like you do based upon this chat.

Hansen: What would have happened if I had not been here?

Schoeppner: I would have done something stupid.

Hansen: With a 13 year old girl.

Schoeppner: I don’t know. Probably.

Hansen: If a 13-year-old girl had been here?

Schoeppner: Yeah.

And you won’t believe what else he admits.

Hansen: Do you ever watch television?

Schoeppner:: Yeah.

Hansen: Do you ever watch Dateline?

Schoeppner: Dateline?

Hansen: Dateline NBC. Did you ever see our stories on computer predators?

Schoeppner: Yeah I’ve seen it.

Hansen: This is one of them.

Schoeppner: Oh no.

So even after seeing our previous investigations, watching men being confronted and arrested, he wasn’t discouraged from doing the very same thing. And as you’ll see later, he’s not the only one.

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