“To Catch A Predator” — Chris Hansen Reports How Children Are At Risk On Social Media

“To Catch A Predator” — Chris Hansen Reports How Children Are At Risk On Social Media

Author: Robert Riggs December 6, 2022 Duration: 29:24

Chris Hansen, the journalist who created the televised series To Catch A Predator, warns that the problem of adults preying on children for sex is growing at an alarming rate. 

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has reported that during the peak of the pandemic, inappropriate contacts between adults and children, predatory contacts, as well as the transmission of inappropriate material between adults and children shot up nearly 900%.

Indicative of the problem is the case of the former Virginia police officer accused of “catfishing” a teenage girl and murdering her grandparents and her mother.

“Catfishing” is a form of online deception in which someone pretends to be a different person.

Firefighters discovered the teen’s family inside their burning home in Riverside, California. 

28-year-old Austin Edwards, the ex-cop, was killed in a shootout with San Bernadino County Sheriff’s deputies.   The teenage girl was not harmed. 

Hansen and investigative reporter Robert Riggs have encountered predators throughout their respective journalism careers. 

The journalism community has honored Chris Hansen with 10 Emmys and 5 Edward R. Murrow reporting Awards.

Chris has broken stories worldwide and is launching a new series, True Crime Nation, on the TruBlu Streaming Network. His To Catch A Predator series is now called TAKEDOWN

In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, Riggs and Hansen go inside the crime scene tape to remind parents that predators live online and that they need to have a conversation with their children about how to stay safe online and on social media.


FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast 

SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter

THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps.

TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about


Robert Riggs has spent decades as an investigative reporter, and in True Crime Reporter, he applies that relentless, document-driven approach to the stories that haunt us. This isn't just a retelling of grim headlines; it's a meticulous walk through active case files, historical injustices, and the societal undercurrents that allow crime to flourish. Each episode feels like you're sitting across from Riggs as he lays out his notes, connecting dots between evidence, witness accounts, and the often-overlooked details that change a narrative. You'll hear the tension in the pursuit of truth, the weight of unresolved questions, and the quiet impact on communities and families left in the wake of violence. The podcast moves beyond the sensational to examine the cultural and systemic factors at play, offering a sober, deeply researched perspective. Listen for long-form narratives that build like a detective's board, where every piece of audio, every interview, and every document serves a purpose. It’s for those who want to understand the 'why' and the 'how' as much as the 'who,' presented with the clarity and authority of a seasoned journalist who knows the terrain. This is a journey into real stories, handled with the care they demand, and it naturally becomes an essential listen for anyone fascinated by the intersection of human behavior, justice, and the news.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

True Crime Reporter
Podcast Episodes
Inside the Minds of Death Row Inmates: A Terrifying Journey Into Evil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:38
Jerry “Animal” McFadden Pastor Wayne Whiteside says, “there are people that seem to be hell-bent on being held bound.” Whiteside knows of what he preaches after ministering to prison inmates for thirty-nine years. He spe…
How A Single Hair Caught A Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:31
The previous episode showed how homicide detectives solved 50-year-old cold cases. They analyzed old evidence using new DNA extraction technology pioneered by Othram, a forensic genealogy lab in Texas. Othram provided ne…
Heat2: The Hollywood Shootout In Which Life Imitates Art [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:53
As I stood in the LA office of the FBI’s bank robbery coordinator, veteran FBI Agent Bill Rehder pointed to a wall plastered with bank surveillance photos. 33-year veteran FBI Agent Bill Rehder Ran The FBI Bank Robbery S…
This Bank Gets Robbed Every Day – Former FBI Agent Don Bentley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:33
There’s a bank in Quantico, Virginia, that gets robbed every day. And I am going to take you there. Hello. I’m Robert Riggs. In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, former FBI Agent Don Bentley takes us inside the FBI A…
When First Responders Need Help This Is Why They Call SWAT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:29
In the previous episode, Inside Story Of The Deadliest Attack On Police Officers Since 9/11, the negotiator for the Dallas SWAT team revealed the inside story about the mass killer who ambushed Dallas officers during a B…
Inside Story Of The Deadliest Attack On Police Officers Since 9/11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:21
On the evening of July 7, 2016, Black Lives Matter protesters marched in downtown Dallas and other cities nationwide. They peacefully gathered in response to the police shootings of two black men, Philando Castile and Al…
Tales of Murder and Mayhem from Former Prosecutor Bill Johnston. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:53
The True Crime Reporter® Podcast features stories and interviews from the respective careers of investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston. Listeners have asked how both of them got invo…