Scary chats and a repeat 'predator'

Chris Hansen Correspondent • Profile

Long Beach, Calif. - We’ve always been aware that the men coming into our undercover houses could be dangerous, but as we set up our “To Catch A Predator” operation in Long Beach, California, the very first man who arrives has us especially worried.

29 year-old Michael Warrecker, an unemployed computer technician uses the frightening screen name “can_i_rape_you_anally.”

He thinks he’s coming to meet a girl who said she was 13.

What Warrecker apparently doesn’t know, is he’s really been chatting with an adult decoy from Perverted-Justice. That’s an online watchdog group Dateline uses as a consultant to do what it normally does, go into chat rooms, mostly at Yahoo and AOL, set up computer profiles, and—in this case —pretend to be children—under the age of 14 who are interested in sex. 

In his online chat, Warrecker tells the decoy,

“Maybe we should hook up...” and says he would like to have anal sex with her.

The decoy says: “Ouch. I think that would hurt a lot.”

Warrecker responds, “Ya, but its a good pain you know.”

Now, Warrecker is at the door, being met by a youngish looking 18-year-old decoy, playing the girl who’s supposed to be home alone.

And it’s time for me to have a chat with him— though my arrival doesn’t seem to faze him one bit.

Hidden camera footage

Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent (walks out): We have a lot to talk about.  Why don’t you have a seat.

Warrecker: This is punch, right?

Hansen: Yeah. What are you doing here?

Warrecker: Hangin’ out.

Hansen: Hanging out?

Warrecker: Yes. And I knew that this was a set up because this was too convenient for this.

Hansen: What was too convenient?

Warrecker: A chat room and just ah talkin’ about everything that—she did.

Hansen: And how old was this so called person you were talking to?

Warrecker: She said she was 13.  But—

Hansen: She said she was 13.  And how old are you?

Warrecker: I’m 29.

Hansen: 29.  And you thought it was okay to come over here and meet a 13-year-old girl at the age of 29.

Warrecker: And hang out, yeah.

Hansen: That’s all you were gonna do was hang out.

Warrecker: That’s what I told her, yes.

But remember, we have his chat log, where he writes to someone who says she’s a 13-year-old female:

(Chat log) Warrecker: “I like rape”

She responds: “creepy.”

Warrecker explains that he doesn’t really want to rape her.

“...just rough sex.. I’d want you to resist and pretend you didn’t want it and stuff.”

Hansen (talking to Warrecker): What kind of a guy has a screen name “Can I Rape You Anally”?

Warrecker: Um, it gets responses.

Hansen: Do you think rape is funny?

Warrecker: No. 

Hansen: Then why would you do this?

Warrecker: It’s just something that I like to put myself into that role and talk about, you know?

Warrecker also asks online if he could tie the girl down while they are having sex.

And it gets scarier, when he goes on to add: “I might want to cut you a little… suck on your blood. Lol.”

Warrecker: A trait that I look for is, they enjoy a little bit of pain here and there you know.

Hansen: You have girlfriends who enjoy a little bit of pain?

Warrecker: Yeah. So?

Hansen: Well, how many times have you had a conversation like this and actually met somebody to fulfill this rape fantasy?

Warrecker: Never.

Hansen: Never.

Warrecker: No. I just thought it’d be cool, you know, to hang out because I—

ansen: I thought it would be cool to come over here after having a chat that went somewhat like this:  “So, if I wanted to bend you over and just shove it in your ass and it hurt pretty bad, you wouldn’t do anything, would you?”  (reading chat) “Yeah, I would scream and try to hit you.”

Well, you act like this is some big joke here.

Warrecker: Well, sir—I—and I know—

Hansen: I mean, these are your words, not mine.  I’m not making this up.  Right?  This is the stuff you said.

Warrecker: Yeah, that’s correct.

Hansen: To somebody who said she was a 13-year-old girl.

Warrecker: Yes.

Hansen: What do you do for a living?

Warrecker: Actually, right now, I’m unemployed.

Hansen: Unemployed.

Warrecker: I got a small inheritance a year ago and sort of took a break.  But I’m almost outta money now. 

Hansen: Time to get back to work.

Warrecker: -- yeah, it’s back to work.

Warrecker tells me he’s brought along a scary movie to watch with the girl, a video camera, and lubricant. 

Hansen: Is this any way for a 29-year-old man to behave?

Warrecker: No.

Hansen: You ever watch Dateline NBC?

Warrecker: Sometimes.

Hansen: I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC, and we’re doing a story on adults who try to pickup young boys and girls online for sex. If there’s anything else you wanna tell us about why you’re here and what you’ve been doing, we’d like to hear it.  If not, you’re clearly free to walk out the door you came in.

And just outside, the Long Beach police are getting into position.

Police to Warrecker: All right, hands up in the air.  Hands up in the air.  Turn around. Put your hands up in the air.  Go down to your knees.

He is charged with an attempted lewd act upon a child. Under California law, attempting to have sex with someone under the age of 14 is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison. Warrecker pleaded no contest.

He’s the first in a long line of men who will be arrested by the Long Beach police department over the next three days.

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