I, Mayor Bret Baldwin, issue the following information regarding the Dateline NBC / Perverted Justice sting in Murphy, Texas, to clarify my stance on the issues and provide important information to the media and residents of Murphy. 

There has been a great deal of misinformation promoted throughout the media that needs to be clarified.  It has been stated that I do not want sting operations. Murphy residents are obviously against sexual predators, and we want them brought to justice.  I am happy that our Police Department has taken a progressive and aggressive stance toward this serious issue.  That being said, I am very much against the sting that occurred in Murphy last week. 

From the information I have reviewed, the sting was not necessary to catch these predators.  All of them could have been apprehended without being lured to Murphy by simply issuing a warrant based on the incriminating evidence obtained by Perverted Justice and having it served in the local jurisdiction of each of the offenders.  This would have been a safer alternative for our community, and it is a process that has been used many times to apprehend predators throughout Texas.

In Texas, the law is broken when a minor is solicited online, not when the meeting occurs.  The code reads: “A person commits an offense if the person, over the Internet or by electronic mail or a commercial online service, knowingly solicits a minor to meet another person, including the actor, with the intent that the minor will engage in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse with the actor or another person” (Subsection C, § 33.021 of the Texas Penal Code). 

The code continues:  “It is not a defense to prosecution under Subsection C that: (1) the meeting did not occur; (2) the actor did not intend for the meeting to occur; or (3) the actor was engaged in a fantasy at the time of commission of the offense.”  In other words, it is not a defense to say that you were not serious or had no intention of actually meeting.  Once you proposition to meet someone you think is a minor online in Texas, you have committed a 2nd or 3rd degree Felony, depending on the perceived age of the minor. 

This tough law, combined with the skills of Perverted Justice workers to collect data and uncover identifying information of online predators, eliminates the need for the sting house.  So why was the sting house used if it was not necessary?  Unfortunately for the citizens of Murphy, a sting operation provides a more photogenic set for filming the Dateline NBC program, “To Catch a Predator.” 

Dangerous child predators were lured to Murphy from as far as Houston, Texas, to drive around our neighborhoods, where our children play, so Dateline NBC could get the dramatic footage of takedowns in the front yard of a home in our community.  A residential neighborhood filled with families and young children was selected as the stage house.  The street that passes in front of the house dead-ends at a nearby elementary school, and children were at school on two days of the operation.  Takedowns happened around 20 times in broad daylight over the span of four days, and a few of the predators were apprehended in other areas in the City after they fled the scene.  In addition, a similar operation conducted a few months ago, with Perverted Justice, did not require luring the predators to a house in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

I am upset because this put our community at avoidable risk to increase the ratings for Dateline NBC and generate revenue for Perverted Justice under the auspices of catching child predators.  Were predators taken off the street?  Yes, and that is a good thing.  We all support that.  Using our community as a stage for Dateline NBC, without knowledge or consent of Council, was inappropriate and it demonstrates a serious lack of judgment on behalf of the City Manager and Police Chief.

Murphy supports our police force and we appreciate the job they do to protect us.  They do an excellent job.  The meeting scheduled for Saturday is to clarify the situation for Council and our residents, so we all understand what happened.  It is not to fire the Police Chief and/or City Manager, as has been suggested in the media, but they both will have the opportunity to express the reasons they took this action.  Residents will also get to express their questions and concerns about the situation.  Due to the volatility of the situation, we will not debate the issues and try to come to a consensus or determine any action.  The meeting will be informational in nature and used to express opinions and help Council assess the situation at hand.  It is the first step in a process to resolve this issue and restore order to our City.

Thank you,
Mayor Bret Baldwin
Murphy, Texas