Going the distance

One suspected sex predator arrived by tractor trailer. You can probably guess what he does for a living.

41-year-old truck driver from Fayetteville, Georgia Joseph Myrick thinks a 15-year-old girl is inside ready to have sex with him.

His screen name is too graphic to use but in his chat he asks the decoy “when it comes to sex are there any positions you like best.”

The person pretending to be the 15-year-old says “I only did the one...” Then he says, “Well, we’ll try others.”

When the decoy says it’s awesome that he’s bringing the big truck, he says, “Well I do not want your mom finding out because it would mess up a good thing.”

(Joseph Myrick arrives at the house)

Decoy (on hidden camera): That’s a big truck. How do you drive that thing?

Myrick: Alright, It’s like driving a car.

Decoy: Well I would love to go for a ride sometime

Myrick: I’d love to take ya, yeah.

(Chris Hansen walks in)

Hansen: Where exactly were you going to take her in that truck of yours?

Myrick: I was going to take her to places to see

Hansen: Like where?

Myrick: She said she wanted to go for a ride. I’d take her for a ride I mean, I didn’t mean no harm, not trying to do nothing. I shouldn’t be doing… I mean trying to you know, no idiot no prevert or nothing.

That’s what he says now—but what about what he said to her online?

Hansen: You say, “Well I do think you’re damn sexy and was wanting to know if you ever had sex.”

Myrick: Oh did I?

Hansen: Yes you did. I have it all right here.

Myrick: I ain’t disputing it, no sir, I ain’t disputing it.

Hansen: ‘I think you probably have a very nice ass as well.’

Myrick: I know I said some things, I ain’t gonna make excuses for the things I said. I just fell into the conversation, totally… it was wrong.

Hansen (reading from chat): ‘Yeah I’ll be your bear and we bear’s like tasting honey’

Myrick: Yeah, I kinda, when you read it back to me like that, I realize what I said and all, you’re right.

Hansen: What do you think would have happened, if I wasn’t here and in fact a 15-year-old girl was here.

Myrick: I mean I told myself, I’m gonna just sit and talk with her.

Hansen: You just said you were gonna take her for a ride in the truck.

Myrick: If she wanted to go man.

Hansen: How do think a girl’s father would feel if a 40-year-old man took a 15-year-old girl for a ride in a truck?

Myrick: He, yes sir, he would be upset,

Hansen: You owe that rig yourself?

Myrick: No sir.

Hansen: So you work for a company that owns that rig?

Myrick: Yes sir.

Hansen: And how do you think they’d take to the fact that you’re out driving that rig around going to meet a 15-year-old girl?

Myrick: Well,  they’re looking as in a bad note

Hansen: A bad note?

Myrick: Like the way it actually looks

Hansen:  You know it’s wrong

Myrick: It was foolish.

Hansen: It was foolish?

Myrick: It was the wrong thing to do and it won’t happen again.

Myrick: I know you got a job to do and I see it all the time and ah

Hansen: You see what all the time?

Myrick: news reports

Hansen: You’ve seen this show on television before then?

Myrick: No not this show; people taken

Hansen: But you’ve seen stories on television news about guys coming to meet underage kids?

Myrick: Yes sir.

Hansen: I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC and we’re doing a story on adults who try to meet young teens on the Internet. And if there’s anything else you’d like to tell us…

Myrick: I was.

Hansen: We’re happy to hear it and if not you’re welcome to walk out the door you came in.

Myrick: I told myself on the way down here I was telling myself, “Just talk to her you know just stay away from sexual overtones.”

The 41-year-old leaves the house and you know what happens next.

Office Mike Jolley: This individual, Joseph Myrick, has 11 prior arrests.

Hansen: Eleven prior arrests. Ranging from?

Jolley: It could range from possession of drugs to simple battery—to theft. So, I mean, a pretty good—pretty good little record that we had on him.  As you see—it started as early as 1983.

He was never convicted on the battery or theft charges. But in the 1990s, he was convicted of six misdemeanors and one felony drug charge.

After Myrick’s arrest, his truck is searched, where detectives find cocaine.

Myrick is then brought in for questioning where he appears to admit what he’s done is wrong.

Investigator Tony Knotts: Do you have any kids?

Joseph Myrick: No, sir, I’ve got nieces, and nephews, and—

Investigator Knotts: How would you feel if somebody did this thing?

Myrick: You want an honest answer?

Investigator Knotts: Honest answer.

Myrick: I woulda kill him.

Then the investigator asks Myrick about his use of cocaine...

Myrick: I’m gonna tell you like it is when I talk [to the decoy] both times, I was under the influence of it.

He seems to blame the cocaine for his current predicament.  He’ll be charged with drug possession along with attempting to commit child molestation and obscene internet contact.

Judge Webb (in court): I’m going to set the criminal attempt child molestation at $15,000  -- possession of controlled substance- $5,000. 

One thing that’s disturbing about our investigations is that so many who show up look like nice guys— men you’d never suspect of possibly attempting to molest a child.  

He’s 34-year-old Abhilash Bhaskaran—a director of software development for a large computer company. He thinks he’s here to meet a 13-year-old girl.

Decoy: Hey; come on in—

Abhilash Bhaskaran: How are you?

Decoy: Just fine how are you? Come on. I’m just finishing up some laundry

Bhaskaran: Take your timeDecoy: I made you some sweet tea if you want to pour a glass

His screen name is raj21us21. While chatting online with a decoy pretending to be 13 he asks “Honey, would you like to take me in your mouth? The girl says, “I’m not sure how.” So raj21us21 says, “We will learn as we go along.” But just as they are about to sign off he tells the decoy what he’s doing is wrong--- that he has to be cautious.

Amiejonesschmones (chat transcript): Cautious why

Raj21us21: u know sex with minor is called rape

Amiejonesschmones: u dont want to have sex with me

Raj21us21: so i just want to make sure everything is ok

Raj21us21: i dont want to see a cop waiting to see me there lol

He seems relieved when he sees our decoy and not a police officer.

Decoy (on hidden camera):  Sit down make yourself at home.

Bhaskaran:  Thank you.

Decoy: I’m just getting these out so they don’t get wrinkled.

Bhaskaran: (laughs) oh all right

Hansen: So you have a big afternoon planned huh? Why don’t you have a seat right there please. What’s going on?

Bhaskaran: Nothing much, I told her just make a friend and that’s it

Hansen: And who is the friend you were here to see?

Bhaskaran: Some ah—Amy

Hansen: Amy. And how old is Amy?

Bhaskaran: She said she was 13

Hansen: 13

Bhaskaran: Yeah

Hansen: And how old are you?

Bhaskaran: 34

Hansen: 34? And why did you think it was okay at the age of 34 to come visit a 13-year-old girl home alone?

Bhaskaran: I said Amy, for sex I am not coming

Hansen: For sex, you are not coming

Bhaskaran: Yeah. I was just make a good friend, hum, I’m educated. I have an MBA.

Hansen: You have an MBA?

Bhaskaran: Yeah you know I’m married, and the marriage is not going well so.

Hansen: I’m sorry, you’re married?

Bhaskaran: Yes, yes I am.

Hansen: And the marriage is not going well.

Bhaskaran: Yes, so I just wanted a friend to talk to.

Hansen: But explain to me how the difficulty in your marriage lead you to this house, where you believed a 13 year old girl was home alone?

Bhaskaran: She said she is, you know good in studies

Hansen: Good at studies.

Bhaskaran: And I thought it was like a mature friend I mean.

Hansen: A mature friend

Bhaskaran: Yeah.

Hansen: Where were you when you were having this chat with this 13-year-old girl Amy?

Bhaskaran: I was in office

Hansen: You were in your office?

Bhaskaran: Yeah.

Hansen: Now does your boss know that you are on line chatting with 13-year-old girls?

Bhaskaran: I am sure they don’t. So what would his bosses think if they read a transcript of his pornographic online chat?

Hansen (reading from chat): You ask if she masturbates.

Bhaskaran: Right.

Hansen (reading):  You say “I feel like kissing you now, and suck on your blank and feel the tummy.”

Bhaskaran: Right, that is supposed to be a “I slept on that and realize that is not a good thing, not something that I should do.”

Hansen: Well, why even come over here?

Bhaskaran: It’s like working for one year I just thought I’d take a day off.

Hansen: So you took a day off to come over here?

Bhaskaran: Yeah.

Hansen: So you told them you had something else to do.

Bhaskaran: Ah who?

Hansen: The people at your office?

Bhaskaran: Yes. (reading from chat)

Hansen: "I love you so much hon." (pause) You talk about being cautious.

Bhaskaran: Yeah.

Hansen: She says "why," you say, "you know sex with a minor is called rape."

Bhaskaran: Right, I understand

Hansen: So you know the law?

Bhaskaran: Yeah, I understand

Hansen: Well, Abhi, there is a couple of things you need to know, I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC, and we’re doing a story on adults who meet teens online. 

Bhaskaran: I have nothing else to say, thank you.

Since he’s never seen one of our reports, he doesn’t know that law enforcement is waiting outside to arrest him.

When he is taken in for questioning he asks to speak to a lawyer.

Bhaskaran (to police): I’m a foreign national.  Can i get an attorney or something. 

Officer: Alright.

Bhaskaran: And what happens next, sir?

Investigator Lewis: Now you go to jail.

Once at the jailhouse, he is fingerprinted and photographed. 

Bhaskaran: My wife and kids won’t know where I’m at, you can call them and let them know?

Police officer: I’ll get back with you on that in just a little bit.

Then put t him behind bars jail awaiting a hearing.

How will he and all the others explain how they ended up caught in this investigation?

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