How to Catch a Predator is a popular television series that uses hidden cameras and undercover investigators to catch potential child predators in the act of soliciting sex from minors. The show has been controversial since its debut in 2004, but it has also been credited with helping to raise awareness of the problem of online child sexual abuse and leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspected predators.
The show’s format is simple: potential predators are lured to a meeting place by an undercover investigator posing as a minor. The investigator then engages the predator in conversation, often over the internet, and eventually arranges a meeting in person. Hidden cameras capture the entire interaction, and if the predator makes any attempt to engage in sexual activity with the minor, they are arrested on the spot.
