Louis Conradt - Revision history

The Admins at 22:14, 15 January 2022

2022-01-15T22:14:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:14, 15 January 2022
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	<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>Among the numerous [[sting operation\|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.		<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>Among the numerous [[sting operation\|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.

	Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070125015221/https://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml CBS PublicEye</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>		Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070125015221/https://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml CBS PublicEye]</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>

	Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061621/https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."		Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061621/https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."

	Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide\|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."		Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide\|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron/> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."

	== Personal life and career ==		== Personal life and career ==

The Admins at 22:13, 15 January 2022

2022-01-15T22:13:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:13, 15 January 2022
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	Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061621/https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."		Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061621/https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."

	Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide\|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron~~>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref~~> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."		Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide\|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."

	== Personal life and career ==		== Personal life and career ==

The Admins at 22:11, 15 January 2022

2022-01-15T22:11:40Z

JohnHolt at 17:53, 19 September 2021

2021-09-19T17:53:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:53, 19 September 2021
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	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Child Pornography]][[Category:Cyber Activism]][[Category:TV & Media]][[Category:People]][[Category:People: American]][[Category:People: Deceased]][[Category:People: Adult or Minor sexually attracted to or involved with the other~~]][[Category:History & Events~~]][[Category:History & Events: Personal Scandals]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: Real Crime]][[Category:History & Events: American]]		[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Child Pornography]][[Category:Cyber Activism]][[Category:TV & Media]][[Category:People]][[Category:People: American]][[Category:People: Deceased]][[Category:People: Adult or Minor sexually attracted to or involved with the other]][[Category:History & Events: Personal Scandals]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: Real Crime]][[Category:History & Events: American]]

Stephen James: /* The sting */

2009-06-05T14:19:03Z

The sting

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 5 June 2009
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	The warrants were signed shortly after 2 p.m.<ref name=Esquire3>[http://www.esquire.com/features/conradt-warrant Esquire Magazine "The Search Warrant for Bill Conradt's House" - Part three of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> By this time, police and ''Dateline'' had been on the scene for hours.<ref name=Esquire1/> In fact, ''Dateline'' had showed up as long as five hours earlier, and later records showed that neighbors had phoned in suspicious-persons reports.<ref name=Esquire1/>		The warrants were signed shortly after 2 p.m.<ref name=Esquire3>[http://www.esquire.com/features/conradt-warrant Esquire Magazine "The Search Warrant for Bill Conradt's House" - Part three of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> By this time, police and ''Dateline'' had been on the scene for hours.<ref name=Esquire1/> In fact, ''Dateline'' had showed up as long as five hours earlier, and later records showed that neighbors had phoned in suspicious-persons reports.<ref name=Esquire1/>

	According to the ''Esquire'' account – again, ~~contended~~ by ''Dateline'' – ''Dateline'' crew members notified police that they observed that a Sunday newspaper on Conradt's doorstep had disappeared, indicating that Conradt was actually home.<ref name=Esquire1/> Later, in an interview with ''Esquire'', Hansen would claim that he did not remember the incident, nor would he characterize anything ''Dateline'' did as surveillance for the police.		According to the ''Esquire'' account – again, contested by ''Dateline'' – ''Dateline'' crew members notified police that they observed that a Sunday newspaper on Conradt's doorstep had disappeared, indicating that Conradt was actually home.<ref name=Esquire1/> Later, in an interview with ''Esquire'', Hansen would claim that he did not remember the incident, nor would he characterize anything ''Dateline'' did as surveillance for the police.

	Using the tip given to them by ''Dateline'', the police made a decision to call in a SWAT team and perform a tactical entry. They feared that Conradt was aware of their presence and was now destroying evidence. The police broke the door's lock and swept through the house. They encountered Conradt in a room. According to the officers' account, Conradt said a variation of "I'm not going to hurt anyone." He then shot himself in the head with a Browning .380 handgun.<ref name=Esquire1/>		Using the tip given to them by ''Dateline'', the police made a decision to call in a SWAT team and perform a tactical entry. They feared that Conradt was aware of their presence and was now destroying evidence. The police broke the door's lock and swept through the house. They encountered Conradt in a room. According to the officers' account, Conradt said a variation of "I'm not going to hurt anyone." He then shot himself in the head with a Browning .380 handgun.<ref name=Esquire1/>

The Admins: minortweak

2009-04-27T16:59:14Z

minortweak

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:59, 27 April 2009
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	[[Image:Louis-Conradt.jpg\|thumb\|Loius Conradt]]~~<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>~~'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)<ref>http://www.rockwallheraldbanner.com/obituaries/local_story_312160357.html</ref> was a Democratic district attorney in Texas. He became inextricably linked to Dateline [[NBC]]'s ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'', a TV series documenting "[[child molester\|sexual predator]] stings", after he committed suicide when a SWAT team entered his house, with ''Dateline'' cameras recording the action.		[[Image:Louis-Conradt.jpg\|thumb\|Loius Conradt]]'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)<ref>http://www.rockwallheraldbanner.com/obituaries/local_story_312160357.html</ref> was a Democratic district attorney in Texas. He became inextricably linked to Dateline [[NBC]]'s ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'', a TV series documenting "[[child molester\|sexual predator]] stings", after he committed suicide when a SWAT team entered his house, with ''Dateline'' cameras recording the action.

	== Events and reaction ==		== Events and reaction ==

	Among the numerous [[sting operation\|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.		<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>Among the numerous [[sting operation\|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.

	Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>		Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>

The Admins: New page: Loius Conradt
TOC
'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)...

2009-04-27T16:57:42Z

New page: thumb|Loius Conradt<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)<ref>...

New page

[[Image:Louis-Conradt.jpg|thumb|Loius Conradt]]<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)<ref>http://www.rockwallheraldbanner.com/obituaries/local_story_312160357.html</ref> was a Democratic district attorney in Texas. He became inextricably linked to Dateline [[NBC]]'s ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'', a TV series documenting "[[child molester|sexual predator]] stings", after he committed suicide when a SWAT team entered his house, with ''Dateline'' cameras recording the action.

== Events and reaction ==

Among the numerous [[sting operation|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.

Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>

Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."

Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."

== Personal life and career ==

Conradt graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and received his law degree at [[Texas Tech University School of Law]]. He was the Kaufman County, Texas district attorney for more than two decades before giving up his seat to make a failed run in 2002 to be the 86th State District Judge. Afterwards, he became Rockwall County's chief felony assistant district attorney. Conradt lived in Terrell, about an hour southeast of Murphy, where vigilante group [[Perverted-Justice]], working in conjunction with ''Dateline'' had set up shop to conduct its "predator" stings.

== Alleged interactions with Perverted-Justice ==

According to Perverted-Justice logs, Conradt posed as a 19-year-old university student and engaged in sexually charged online chats with someone who Conradt was to believe to be a 13-year-old named Luke.<ref name=PJlogs1>[http://perverted-justice.com/?archive=Inxs00 Perverted-Justice logs]</ref> Conradt solicited pictures of "Luke's" penis, and sent pictures purporting to be of his alter ego.<ref name=Esquire1/>

After two weeks, Perverted-Justice and NBC brought in an actor to play "Luke" over the phone. For reasons that are still not known, Conradt stopped responding to phone calls and instant messages. It was then that police and NBC decided to bring the operation to Conradt's home in Terrell.

== Conradt's alleged MySpace page ==

According to Perverted-Justice members, content from Conradt's MySpace page began to disappear, leading them to believe that Conradt was covering up his tracks. This played a part in the decision of the authorities (and ''Dateline'', as some allege) to pursue a warrant for Conradt's arrest. Chris Hansen mentioned the disappearing page on his blog and on-air.<ref name=InsideDateline>[http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/20/61856.aspx Inside Dateline from MSNBC]</ref> ''Esquire'' writer Luke Dittrich implies that the disappearing page pushed the participants to make an imminent move (according to Texas law, Conradt had already committed a crime by participating in the explicit chats with a purported child).<ref name=Esquire1/>

Later investigation by ''Esquire'' revealed that Conradt's page had not been touched for months before the sting. Perverted-Justice members claimed that Conradt had other Myspace pages, but never produced the evidence for such. Chris Hansen later admitted to ''Esquire'' that he did not remember actually seeing the page.<ref name=Esquire2>[http://www.esquire.com/features/hansen-transcript Esquire Magazine "Interview with Chris Hansen: The Transcript" - Part two of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> The detective who wrote the warrants said the alleged Myspace cover-up by Conradt was never mentioned to him.

== Legal maneuverings ==

According to the ''Esquire'' article, members from Perverted-Justice faxed the Collin County District Attorney's office, requesting support for an upcoming sting. District attorney John Roach was surprised that the request came from a civilian group rather than the police. Roach told ''Esquire'' that he warned Murphy Police Chief Myrick to not deal with ''Dateline'' or Perverted-Justice, and that the DA's office "will take no part in the planning or execution of the sting operation."

After midnight on the day of the sting, Murphy Detective Sam Love alleges that Chris Hansen, or someone else from ''Dateline'', called the operation's headquarters and demanded that the police obtain an arrest and search warrant for Conradt. Detective Walter Weiss told ''Esquire'' that he was ordered to acquire the warrants by that morning. He finished the warrant at 11 a.m.<ref name=Esquire1/>

== The sting ==

The official participants in the sting included Murphy police and the Terrell Police Department, including Terrell's SWAT team.<ref name=Esquire1>[http://www.esquire.com/features/predator0907 Esquire Magazine "Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die" - Part one of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> According to raw footage obtained by ''Esquire'', at least one ''Dateline'' cameraman had hidden himself near the Conradt residence door. Chris Hansen and ''Dateline'' denied that crew members were on the private property (such an act is illegal). Also in that footage is "Frag," a member of Perverted-Justice, who is seen advising police on what to do next.<ref name=Esquire1/> Chris Hansen denied that Perverted-Justice was present, but recanted when ''Esquire'' was able to describe what "Frag" looked like.

The warrants were signed shortly after 2 p.m.<ref name=Esquire3>[http://www.esquire.com/features/conradt-warrant Esquire Magazine "The Search Warrant for Bill Conradt's House" - Part three of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> By this time, police and ''Dateline'' had been on the scene for hours.<ref name=Esquire1/> In fact, ''Dateline'' had showed up as long as five hours earlier, and later records showed that neighbors had phoned in suspicious-persons reports.<ref name=Esquire1/>

According to the ''Esquire'' account – again, contended by ''Dateline'' – ''Dateline'' crew members notified police that they observed that a Sunday newspaper on Conradt's doorstep had disappeared, indicating that Conradt was actually home.<ref name=Esquire1/> Later, in an interview with ''Esquire'', Hansen would claim that he did not remember the incident, nor would he characterize anything ''Dateline'' did as surveillance for the police.

Using the tip given to them by ''Dateline'', the police made a decision to call in a SWAT team and perform a tactical entry. They feared that Conradt was aware of their presence and was now destroying evidence. The police broke the door's lock and swept through the house. They encountered Conradt in a room. According to the officers' account, Conradt said a variation of "I'm not going to hurt anyone." He then shot himself in the head with a Browning .380 handgun.<ref name=Esquire1/>

== Aftermath ==

On June 1, 2007, the Collin County District Attorney's office announced that it would not pursue any of the indictments that ''To Catch a Predator'' had netted. Officials from the DA's office believed that the cases were riddled with errors. More problematically, it appeared that nearly all of the investigative work had been done by Perverted-Justice and ''Dateline'', with the police only playing the role of the arresting force. In its response, PJ said it had complied with the DA, offered assistance and evidence, but had found the DA to be corrupt and lazy.

Detective Walter Weiss, after the failed sting, resigned from the Murphy Police.

Facts from the aired 20 February 2007 episode of ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'' were used as part of a $100 million lawsuit by Conradt's sister, Patricia Conradt, against NBC Universal Inc.<ref name=NYLawJournal>New York Law Journal (March 3, 2008) ''[http://quest.law.com/Search/Search.do?Ntt=Suit+Proceeds+Against+NBC+Over+%27Dateline%27+Suicide&Nty=1&N=8359&Ntk=SI_All&cx=0&sortVar=1&x=6&y=10 Suit Proceeds Against NBC Over Dateline Suicide; Jury Could Find Responsible Journalism Line Crossed.]'' Decision of Interest. Volume 239; Col. 3 (CONRADT v. NBC UNIVERSAL, INC., 07 Civ. 6623, Chin, District Judge Denny).</ref> In March 2008, she overcame a significant hurdle when the judge in the case agreed to allow her infliction of emotional distress and [[civil rights]] claims to be heard by a [[jury]].<ref name=NYLawJournal/>

ABC News later did an investigation of the incident on its own news show, [[20/20]] (see ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'' for more information).<ref name=ABC2020>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i03f98739a9d2524fd9a85d8d973e1734 Hollywood Reporter on ABC's 20/20 report on Dateline]</ref>

On September 5, 2007, ''Dateline'' aired the results of the forensics report on Conradt's computer. According to the report, Conradt's "[[CD]]s, laptop computers and cell phone all contained pornographic material -- some included child pornography."<ref name=MSNBC1>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20626117/page/2/ MSNBC]</ref>

On June 24, 2008, the lawsuit brought before NBC Universal by Patricia Conradt was "amicably resolved" to an unknown settlement.<ref name=LATIMES1>[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/06/nbc-resolves-la.html LA Times]</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Child Pornography]][[Category:Cyber Activism]][[Category:TV & Media]][[Category:People]][[Category:People: American]][[Category:People: Deceased]][[Category:People: Adult or Minor sexually attracted to or involved with the other]][[Category:History & Events]][[Category:History & Events: Personal Scandals]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: Real Crime]][[Category:History & Events: American]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:11, 15 January 2022
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Image:Louis-Conradt.jpg\|thumb\|Loius Conradt]]'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)<ref>http://www.rockwallheraldbanner.com/obituaries/local_story_312160357.html</ref> was a Democratic district attorney in Texas. He became inextricably linked to Dateline [[NBC]]'s ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'', a TV series documenting "[[child molester\|sexual predator]] stings", after he committed suicide when a SWAT team entered his house, with ''Dateline'' cameras recording the action.		[[Image:Louis-Conradt.jpg\|thumb\|Loius Conradt]]'''Louis William "Bill" Conradt, Jr.''' (January 30, 1950 - November 5, 2006)<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070223063816/http://www.rockwallheraldbanner.com/obituaries/local_story_312160357.html Rockwall Herald</ref> was a Democratic district attorney in Texas. He became inextricably linked to Dateline [[NBC]]'s ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'', a TV series documenting "[[child molester\|sexual predator]] stings", after he committed suicide when a SWAT team entered his house, with ''Dateline'' cameras recording the action.

	== Events and reaction ==		== Events and reaction ==
Line 5:		Line 5:
	<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>Among the numerous [[sting operation\|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.		<div style="margin-right: 25px; float: left;">__TOC__</div>Among the numerous [[sting operation\|sting]]s that ''To Catch a Predator'' and [[Perverted Justice]] conducted, Conradt's was unique in that the show's producers and police decided to go to Conradt's home. In other cases, ''To Catch a Predator'' lured suspected [[sex offender]]s with an actor or actress pretending to be a teenager, into a home that was wired with cameras and surrounded by police. Conradt had apparently declined the actor's offers and subsequent phone calls.

	Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>~~http~~://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>		Conradt's death prompted increased criticism of the show, which was already being criticized by some<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070125015221/https://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/03/28/publiceye/entry1445230.shtml CBS PublicEye</ref> in the legal and journalistic profession. A year after the incident, ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Esquire'' published articles attacking ''To Catch a Predator''. ''Esquire'' obtained raw footage of the incident that contradicted ''Dateline'''s and host [[Chris Hansen]]'s previous denials of the show's alleged collusion with law enforcement officials.<ref name=Esquire1/>

	Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[~~http~~://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."		Hansen did not respond to the ''Esquire'' article when the ''Houston Chronicle'' asked for comment,<ref name=Chron>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061621/https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> but deferred to his spokeswoman, who called the idea that Hansen would dictate police action "preposterous."

	Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide\|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."		Perverted-Justice founder [[Phillip John Eide\|Xavier von Erck]] called the ''Esquire'' article fiction.<ref name=Chron>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Chron story]</ref> Though he did not respond to the ''Esquire'' story's allegation or supporting evidence that ''Dateline'' and PJ directed police actions in the Conradt case, he reiterated his disgust for Conradt's behavior. In an e-mail response to the ''Houston Chronicle'', he wrote, "The idea that anything led to the suicide of Conradt other than his want to avoid potential penalties for soliciting a 13-year-old boy sexually is outlandish. We encourage all interested to read the Conradt chat-logs and verification call recordings. Once you do that, you then immediately know why Conradt shot himself rather than face the criminal justice system."
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	== Conradt's alleged MySpace page ==		== Conradt's alleged MySpace page ==

	According to Perverted-Justice members, content from Conradt's MySpace page began to disappear, leading them to believe that Conradt was covering up his tracks. This played a part in the decision of the authorities (and ''Dateline'', as some allege) to pursue a warrant for Conradt's arrest. Chris Hansen mentioned the disappearing page on his blog and on-air.<ref name=InsideDateline>[~~http~~://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/20/61856.aspx Inside Dateline from MSNBC]</ref> ''Esquire'' writer Luke Dittrich implies that the disappearing page pushed the participants to make an imminent move (according to Texas law, Conradt had already committed a crime by participating in the explicit chats with a purported child).<ref name=Esquire1/>		According to Perverted-Justice members, content from Conradt's MySpace page began to disappear, leading them to believe that Conradt was covering up his tracks. This played a part in the decision of the authorities (and ''Dateline'', as some allege) to pursue a warrant for Conradt's arrest. Chris Hansen mentioned the disappearing page on his blog and on-air.<ref name=InsideDateline>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071002142809/https://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/20/61856.aspx Inside Dateline from MSNBC]</ref> ''Esquire'' writer Luke Dittrich implies that the disappearing page pushed the participants to make an imminent move (according to Texas law, Conradt had already committed a crime by participating in the explicit chats with a purported child).<ref name=Esquire1/>

	Later investigation by ''Esquire'' revealed that Conradt's page had not been touched for months before the sting. Perverted-Justice members claimed that Conradt had other Myspace pages, but never produced the evidence for such. Chris Hansen later admitted to ''Esquire'' that he did not remember actually seeing the page.<ref name=Esquire2>[http://www.esquire.com/features/hansen-transcript Esquire Magazine "Interview with Chris Hansen: The Transcript" - Part two of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> The detective who wrote the warrants said the alleged Myspace cover-up by Conradt was never mentioned to him.		Later investigation by ''Esquire'' revealed that Conradt's page had not been touched for months before the sting. Perverted-Justice members claimed that Conradt had other Myspace pages, but never produced the evidence for such. Chris Hansen later admitted to ''Esquire'' that he did not remember actually seeing the page.<ref name=Esquire2>[http://www.esquire.com/features/hansen-transcript Esquire Magazine "Interview with Chris Hansen: The Transcript" - Part two of a three-part report on the Conradt incident]</ref> The detective who wrote the warrants said the alleged Myspace cover-up by Conradt was never mentioned to him.
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	Detective Walter Weiss, after the failed sting, resigned from the Murphy Police.		Detective Walter Weiss, after the failed sting, resigned from the Murphy Police.

	Facts from the aired 20 February 2007 episode of ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'' were used as part of a $100 million lawsuit by Conradt's sister, Patricia Conradt, against NBC Universal Inc.<ref name=NYLawJournal>New York Law Journal (March 3, 2008) ''[http://quest.law.com/Search/Search.do?Ntt=Suit+Proceeds+Against+NBC+Over+%27Dateline%27+Suicide&Nty=1&N=8359&Ntk=SI_All&cx=0&sortVar=1&x=6&y=10 Suit Proceeds Against NBC Over Dateline Suicide; Jury Could Find Responsible Journalism Line Crossed.]'' Decision of Interest. Volume 239; Col. 3 (CONRADT v. NBC UNIVERSAL, INC., 07 Civ. 6623, Chin, District Judge Denny).</ref> In March 2008, she overcame a significant hurdle when the judge in the case agreed to allow her infliction of emotional distress and [[civil rights]] claims to be heard by a [[jury]].<ref name=NYLawJournal/>		Facts from the aired 20 February 2007 episode of ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'' were used as part of a $100 million lawsuit by Conradt's sister, Patricia Conradt, against NBC Universal Inc.<ref name=NYLawJournal>New York Law Journal (March 3, 2008) ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20080602005721/http://quest.law.com/Search/Search.do?Ntt=Suit+Proceeds+Against+NBC+Over+%27Dateline%27+Suicide&Nty=1&N=8359&Ntk=SI_All&cx=0&sortVar=1&x=6&y=10 Suit Proceeds Against NBC Over Dateline Suicide; Jury Could Find Responsible Journalism Line Crossed.]'' Decision of Interest. Volume 239; Col. 3 (CONRADT v. NBC UNIVERSAL, INC., 07 Civ. 6623, Chin, District Judge Denny).</ref> In March 2008, she overcame a significant hurdle when the judge in the case agreed to allow her infliction of emotional distress and [[civil rights]] claims to be heard by a [[jury]].<ref name=NYLawJournal/>

	ABC News later did an investigation of the incident on its own news show, [[20/20]] (see ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'' for more information).<ref name=ABC2020>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i03f98739a9d2524fd9a85d8d973e1734 Hollywood Reporter on ABC's 20/20 report on Dateline]</ref>		ABC News later did an investigation of the incident on its own news show, [[20/20]] (see ''[[To Catch a Predator]]'' for more information).<ref name=ABC2020>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i03f98739a9d2524fd9a85d8d973e1734 Hollywood Reporter on ABC's 20/20 report on Dateline]</ref>

	On September 5, 2007, ''Dateline'' aired the results of the forensics report on Conradt's computer. According to the report, Conradt's "[[CD]]s, laptop computers and cell phone all contained pornographic material -- some included child pornography."<ref name=MSNBC1>[~~http~~://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20626117/page/2/ MSNBC]</ref>		On September 5, 2007, ''Dateline'' aired the results of the forensics report on Conradt's computer. According to the report, Conradt's "[[CD]]s, laptop computers and cell phone all contained pornographic material -- some included child pornography."<ref name=MSNBC1>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071130012126/https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20626117/page/2/ MSNBC]</ref>

	On June 24, 2008, the lawsuit brought before NBC Universal by Patricia Conradt was "amicably resolved" to an unknown settlement.<ref name=LATIMES1>[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/06/nbc-resolves-la.html LA Times]</ref>		On June 24, 2008, the lawsuit brought before NBC Universal by Patricia Conradt was "amicably resolved" to an unknown settlement.<ref name=LATIMES1>[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/06/nbc-resolves-la.html LA Times]</ref>