Potential predators in Petaluma

Everyone is on high alert as the next potential sex predator approached our hidden camera house.

Online, he told a decoy pretending to be a 13-year-old, “I carry a gun everywhere I go.”

So as soon as he arrives, officers take him down. Then he’s brought in for questioning. He’s 23-year-old Jonathan Steman. He admits to the detective that he was chatting online about sex with a girl named Anna.

Jonathan Steman:  I let my other head get the best of me and pretty regretful right about now ‘cause my wife comes back in three days from the Army and I’m not gonna know how to tell her this.

Detective: So what did you say to Anna?

Steman: A bunch of vulgarities, a lot of sexual content about what I’d like to do to her.  I also told her that I was in the Marine Corps, which I am.  I’m waitin’—

Detective: Are you currently?

Steman: I am active duty. 

In fact, he points out that his surveillance skills as a soldier initially tipped him off that something was up.

Steman: Being in the Marine Corps as a sniper, I was pretty in tune to my surroundings.  And so I noticed a couple vehicles that looked out of place, so I left the first time. I had seen this on TV before and never thought I’d be part of it. And I didn’t listen to my sixth sense that kept me alive in Iraq.  And I didn’t do that here.

Detective: Did you have any guns in the car?

Steman: Yes, I did.  I have my shotgun.  It pretty much goes anywhere with me.

And sure enough, the police did find the gun in the truck of his car.

Detective: Alright.  Is there anything else?

Steman:  That’s it, sir.

There’s another man outside our house here to meet a girl who told him she was 13. 

This time our decoy invites him in.

Meet 37-seven-year old Mike Vestal screenname mike_vestal69. He tells the decoy, “I must warn you I am kinda big down there.” And asks her if she wants to see—then emails her a picture of his genitals. They make plans to meet and he says “You might not want to be with boys your age when I get done with you.”

He won’t be getting into the hot tub today—

Hansen (walks out): So’d you bring your—swim trunks?

Mike Vestal: Nope.

Hansen: No.  What did you bring?

Vestal: Nothin’.

Hansen: Why’d you come here today?

Vestal: It was stupid. I shoulda known better.  She’s a baby.

He says he really wasn’t going to do anything with her but his chat log seems to say otherwise..

Hansen: You say that you’re a pretty “normal, horny old man.  And I would love to make wild, passionate love to you.”

Vestal: Oh God.

Hansen: I’m tryin’ to understand why you thought it was a good idea to come over here to visit a 13-year-old girl.

Vestal: I don’t know.  I wasn’t thinkin’.

Hansen: But you sent this picture, right?

Vestal: Yes.

Hansen: And that’s you?

Vestal: Yes.  It’s not somethin’ I woulda normally done.  I shoulda known better.

He seems to think I’m a cop and even tries to bargain with me.

Vestal: I know what the law says.  But I’m really hopin’ for a warning. 

Hansen: So you think you should just get a warning.

Vestal: I’m begging. I—I’m begging please

Hansen: Well, there’s only one warning I can give you.  And—and this is it.  That I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC.  And we’re doing a story on adults who solicit minors on-line for sex.

Vestal: I have nothing else to sayexcept world please forgive me.  It was stupid.

He makes his way out of the backyard through the garage where police are waiting to arrest him.

He’s taken away in an unmarked car and brought in for questioning.

Police officer:Why did you come to the house today?

Vestal: I was bored at home.

Hansen: What was some of the things that you discussed?

Vestal:  Oral sex.

Police officer: Oral sex—anything else?

Vestal: Think that was it, maybe a massage.

Police officer: Did you—send any, any photos—to this person?

Vestal:  Of my private parts. I’m digging myself a hole, aren’t I?

He insists that he would not have had sex with a 13-year-old.

Vestal: I f**ked up my marriage.  I f*d up my life.  I don’t deserve any of it. Meaning my life, my wife.

Police officer: How long have you been married, Michael?

Vestal:  13 years.

And there are more married men about to show up at our hidden camera house.  This is 43-year-old Manuel Uson. He’s a plant supervisor for a large automaker. He’s here after chatting online with a girl who told him she was 13.

Manuel Uson: Wow.  This is your place?

Decoy: Yeah.  It’s a nice house.  So look, I got the hot tub uncovered.

Uson: Wow.

If you’re wondering what he’s doing in this strange backyard with a girl he’s never met before.

Take a look at what he said online: Using the screen name bendix632 he types “We’re gonna take a shower both of us.” He tells the decoy, “You will give me oral sex” and using graphic language says he will do the same to her.  Then he tells her “u go naked in bed when i see you sunday.” The decoy says okay and bendix632 asks “I’ll be the one gonna take off your clothes?”

Hansen (walks out): Have a seat right over there please.

Uson: Oh, hi.

Hansen: Hi.  How are you? What’s happening?

Uson: I’m good.

Hansen: Please.  Have a seat.

Uson: Oh, I—I—am I in trouble now?

Hansen: I’ll get to that in a minute. What did you bring?

Uson: Casadia

Hansen: How old are you?

Uson: I’m-- 30-- 40.

Hansen: 40.

Uson: 40.

Hansen: Yeah.  40.  ‘Cause in your chat you said you were 25.

He’s really 43.

Uson: Oh, yup.  Just  teasing over there.

Hansen: So this is all just teasing in here.  Where you say “Probably a virgin, huh?”

Uson: Yeah. (laughs)

Hansen: “How big are your—" talking about the breasts?

Uson: I guess.

Hansen: (reading from transcript) “I masturbate twice a day.”

Uson: (laughs)  Just teasing on that thing. I’m just gonna go meet her.  And then nothing.  Nothing.

Hansen: Nothing.  Because there’s a whole lot of something going on right here. You know what I mean?

Uson: It’s all just words.

He argues everything said in a chat room is just pretend.

Hansen:  The problem is that you left the pretend world of the computer Internet and came here to the real world.

Uson: Yeah.

Hansen: Where you thought a real girl was home alone.

Uson: Yeah, but she was—

Hansen: And so it’s not pretend anymore once you’re here.  Do you get that?

Uson: I know.  That’s what I’m saying.  I made a mistake.

He claims he just came over to bring the girl lunch.

Hansen: Did you bring condoms?

Uson: No.  actually, I did.  Actually—

Hansen: Oh, you did.  Why don’t you put them on that bar there.  Oh, there’s some right there.  Extra sensitive.

Uson: I mean, she wants me to bring some.  And I just bring them.

Hansen: So a 13-year-old told you to do something so you did it.  You’re 40.

Uson: I made a mistake. 

He says his wife and three year old are back in the Philippines so he uses the Internet to make friends. But his chat went way beyond friendship.

Hansen: You say, “I’ll buy condoms.  Remember, my blank is big.”

Uson: Oh [GROANS]

Hansen: “You want me to slide that in your blank?”  Now, this is over and over and over again.

And when the cameras come out, I tell him he’s walked into a Dateline investigation he says he wasn’t going to do anything wrong.

Hansen: So you’re maintaining—

Uson: Yes.  I—

Hansen: That you would not have had sex with this girl.

Uson: No, no, no.  really, serious.  Not at all.

Hansen: In spite of the condoms.

Uson: No.

Hansen: In spite of the—

Uson: That’s it.  I mean—

Hansen: Explicit chat.

Uson: Yeah.  I wouldn’t even do it.

He’ll have to that story to the police. After he’s brought into the booking station and photographed, he starts answering questions.  And this time he seems to admit everything.

Police: She told you that she was 13 years old.

Manuel Uson: Yes—yeah.

Police: You talked to her about—her having oral sex.

Uson:   Yes.

Police: And doing it doggy style.

Uson: Yes.

Police: She told you that her parents would be gone.  You made arrangements to come and have sex with her?

Uson: Well, not really sex.  But, you know, we just— but, I bought the condoms.

Police: You wanted to have sex with her?

Uson: Yes.

He tells the detective it’s really his wife’s fault.

Uson: She’s so demanding too.  That’s why I have so many problems.  My wife and me—you know—have some argument.  That’s why I did this stupid thing or else I wouldn’t do it. 

Then he comes up with this surprising offer—he wants to go undercover for the police.

Uson: Maybe I can work for you guys.  I’m really hoping to work for you guys.

Not likely. Once the interview is over, he’s taken away and locked up in the Sonoma county jail.

It’s a jail that’s about to get crowded.  Our undercover house becomes so busy... men are practically running into each other. 

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