How a shocking death led to the downfall of To Catch a Predator
Lance Oppenheim's new feature Primetime casts a sceptical eye over the "paedophile catching" ratings juggernaut to query if it ever really had an impact on child protection.
In the early 2000s, the hidden camera show To Catch a Predator gained immense popularity on NBC, becoming a cultural phenomenon. Hosted by journalist Chris Hansen, the show featured production working with private investigation firm Perverted-Justice, who created decoys posing as children to lure potential predators into staged homes. Hansen then emerged, questioning the men and revealing the hidden cameras, leading to their arrest by local law enforcement.
The show's popularity soared, with episodes featuring the segment attracting 13% more audience than those without it. By 2006, To Catch a Predator was moved to a prime-time slot, directly competing with network hits like Lost. This period also saw law enforcement officers coordinating the stings, resulting in high-profile arrests of firefighters, teachers, religious and government workers.
However, the show's darkness reached a tragic turning point in 2006 when local assistant district attorney Louis William "Bill" Conradt, a decoy in a To Catch a Predator sting, killed himself after being confronted by Hansen and local police in Murphy, Texas. This event led to legal issues surrounding all arrests made in the show's stings, including claims of insufficient evidence and lack of active warrants.
In June 2007, a Texas district attorney refused to prosecute any of the 24 men arrested in the Murphy sting. A month later, Conradt's sister filed a $109 million wrongful death lawsuit against NBC Universal. The network initially fought the claims but eventually settled the lawsuit in June 2008 with an undisclosed amount.
To Catch a Predator was canceled shortly after the lawsuit. The documentary Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim, chronicles the events leading up to Conradt's death, loosely based on a 2007 Esquire article. Oppenheim's narrative explores the show's blend of truth and fiction, its impact on awareness of online child safety, and the blurred lines between entertainment and real-life consequences.
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