NY- SPECIAL REPORT: The Man Who Preys on Predators

11-21-2008 New York:

Bill Latchford is an every day guy -- a father, a computer technician, a borough council member in hometown of Tyrone, PA.

One night, three years ago, Latchford was glued to his TV. He watched as members of a group called Perverted Justice posed as kids in online chat rooms and lure sexual predators their way. When the alleged predators show up, so does a reporter, then the cops, and then they're arrested.

“I was flabbergasted. I just couldn't believe there were guys out there who would actually do this. And the show, of course, proved it is out there,” said Latchford. “I wanted to see if there was something that my town of Tyrone had to worry about."

So Latchford set up his own profile - posing as a 13-year-old girl - and logged into a chat room.

“I do not make first contact, whatsoever. I go into a chat room and I sit there,” he said.

Latchford says the first message is usually A/S/L: age, sex, location.

He says two-thirds of the men usually walk away when the see they're talking to a kid, but others….

“If the conversation continues past there, usually that's not a good sign for the perpetrator,” said Latchford.

Latchford sets up a meeting time and location, and hands over the conversation to his local police. When the alleged perpetrator arrives, police make the arrest.

Recently, Latchford says “dstrong03" contacted him in a chat room.

Investigators say "dstrong03" is Darin Strong, a gym teacher at Ithaca High School, who they now accuse of sending sexual images of himself to Latchford, who was posing as a 13-year-old girl.

“If you look at dstrong03 as a person, you would never, ever expect this person to do such a thing,” said Latchford. “He risked a lot, gambled, and lost."

The case is now in Blair County Court, but the district attorney says the charges may not stick.

“Pennsylvania law requires an individual in a situation like this doing this kind of investigation to be a policeman or someone under 18 years of age,” said DA Rich Consiglio. “We like these things to be handled by the police, I think I can honestly say that."

Latchford responded, “You see a crime, you report it…Some people choose not to get involved, I choose to get involved."

Latchford says he may not pose as a teenage girl anymore. Instead, he's getting the word out about internet safety to parents through a website he launched called www.protectchildrenonline.org.

Latchford thinks kids should explore the internet, but with their parents supervision.

“In my opinion, it's the adults who educate themselves and inform themselves on what's going on, and then they protect their children,” he said.

Latchford says he wants to become a public speaker -- to talk to kids and their parents about the dangers on the internet.

The case against "dstrong03" and another man Latchford caught are still open in Blair County. ..News Source.. by Ted Fioraliso