They are trying to persuade these youngsters because they're attracted to them sexually to become involved in an intimate way. There is clearly something different about these individuals. Berlin: Well, clearly, these are by definition men who have an interest in becoming involved sexually with children of that age. Hansen: When you read the computer chat logs of the conversations between the men and the decoy, you see a grooming process. But there may be tremendous differences between them, and it's important to understand the differences as it is to understand the similarities. Clearly, every one of these men is doing something that's terribly wrong. I think we're so quick now to use the term 'predator.' We have to talk in terms of, as far as I'm concerned, that have everyday meaning tied to them.
Is it fair to call each one of these men a predator?ĭr. Below, is a transcript of more of their interview.Ĭhris Hansen, Dateline correspondent: We had recently had 50 men come into a house, hoping to meet a 12 to 13-year-old child.
