1 00:00:02,069 --> 00:00:03,036 [Male Narrator] The following program documents 2 00:00:03,136 --> 00:00:04,238 real law enforcement investigations 3 00:00:04,338 --> 00:00:05,906 of child sexual predators. 4 00:00:06,073 --> 00:00:07,274 This deeply disturbing content 5 00:00:07,374 --> 00:00:09,076 may be triggering for some viewers. 6 00:00:09,309 --> 00:00:10,477 Please watch with care. 7 00:00:11,745 --> 00:00:14,982 Next, Detective Tony Godwin and his team investigate 8 00:00:15,148 --> 00:00:17,985 a suspect with top-level security clearance. 9 00:00:18,986 --> 00:00:21,622 He was on Air Force Two, the plane of the vice president 10 00:00:21,822 --> 00:00:22,990 of the United States. 11 00:00:30,097 --> 00:00:31,665 [knocking] 12 00:00:31,865 --> 00:00:33,634 [Officer] Hey, it's the police. Open up. 13 00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:37,070 [Narrator] Then, a new lead-- a man suspected of tricking 14 00:00:37,070 --> 00:00:40,874 underage kids into performing on their webcams. 15 00:00:41,108 --> 00:00:43,076 I have a complete, full description of you, 16 00:00:43,310 --> 00:00:44,912 more than you think I would want to know. 17 00:00:45,112 --> 00:00:47,514 Not with my [bleep]. I don't show my [bleep]. 18 00:00:47,614 --> 00:00:48,949 It doesn't get any worse. 19 00:00:49,783 --> 00:00:53,353 Detectives on scene contacting a subject at the gas pumps. 20 00:00:53,587 --> 00:00:55,389 [Narrator] And the team comes face-to-face with 21 00:00:55,622 --> 00:00:58,592 one of the boldest predators it's ever encountered. 22 00:01:01,929 --> 00:01:03,430 We got you, Dugefresh. 23 00:01:04,064 --> 00:01:05,632 [Officer] Get on the ground! 24 00:01:05,866 --> 00:01:07,000 [Narrator] A team of police professionals 25 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:08,835 in North Dallas has one goal. 26 00:01:09,069 --> 00:01:10,070 [Officer] Get out of the car! 27 00:01:10,270 --> 00:01:12,439 [Narrator] Take down online predators 28 00:01:12,539 --> 00:01:15,275 before they harm a real child. 29 00:01:16,109 --> 00:01:18,145 Child predators are everywhere. 30 00:01:18,312 --> 00:01:19,479 [Narrator] Online predators pose 31 00:01:19,713 --> 00:01:23,116 the biggest danger to America's children today. 32 00:01:23,350 --> 00:01:25,752 Kids are being targeted at an alarming rate. 33 00:01:26,386 --> 00:01:28,388 [Narrator] This team is opening its case files 34 00:01:28,488 --> 00:01:30,023 for the first time 35 00:01:30,023 --> 00:01:31,992 to show you how it tracks them down... 36 00:01:34,061 --> 00:01:35,495 [Tony] All right, he's coming this way. 37 00:01:35,662 --> 00:01:39,866 [Narrator]...and brings them to justice by any means necessary. 38 00:01:39,866 --> 00:01:41,068 [Officer] Put your hands on the car. 39 00:01:42,469 --> 00:01:44,438 [Narrator] This is Detective Tony Godwin, 40 00:01:44,671 --> 00:01:47,040 and his team is... 41 00:01:47,107 --> 00:01:48,475 the Predator Hunters. 42 00:01:48,542 --> 00:01:51,712 [unsettling music] 43 00:01:51,712 --> 00:01:54,147 [Narrator] March 12, 2010. 44 00:01:54,147 --> 00:01:55,716 Detective Tony Godwin watches 45 00:01:55,816 --> 00:01:58,352 a live feed from Las Vegas Airport. 46 00:01:59,786 --> 00:02:01,388 This predator thinks he's meeting 47 00:02:01,622 --> 00:02:03,991 a 14-year-old girl for sex... 48 00:02:05,826 --> 00:02:08,628 ...after grooming her for weeks with texts... 49 00:02:10,864 --> 00:02:12,432 ...and late night calls. 50 00:02:16,670 --> 00:02:20,240 [Narrator] What he doesn't know, Tony's team is moving in. 51 00:02:20,474 --> 00:02:24,077 It's one of the most dangerous operations it's ever attempted. 52 00:02:26,313 --> 00:02:28,915 [Tony] I've caught predators from all walks of life. 53 00:02:29,016 --> 00:02:31,418 But the one with the most surprising background 54 00:02:31,585 --> 00:02:34,021 is this guy, Darryl Walizer. 55 00:02:34,221 --> 00:02:36,256 This guy held a really trusted position 56 00:02:36,423 --> 00:02:38,025 in the U.S. military. 57 00:02:38,225 --> 00:02:40,660 But then, his deviant desires kicked in. 58 00:02:41,662 --> 00:02:44,264 To stop him, I had to call in some help from out of state 59 00:02:44,464 --> 00:02:46,266 to pull off a high-risk takedown. 60 00:02:46,666 --> 00:02:51,638 [tense music] 61 00:02:54,107 --> 00:02:56,276 [Tony] The Walizer case happens in 2010. 62 00:02:56,343 --> 00:02:59,479 At the time, I'm looking at online chat rooms. 63 00:03:00,781 --> 00:03:02,349 The kids absolutely love them. 64 00:03:02,749 --> 00:03:04,951 They love the fact that they're kind of hidden. 65 00:03:05,018 --> 00:03:06,586 They can say anything they wan. 66 00:03:06,787 --> 00:03:08,588 There's a lot of freedom involved with that. 67 00:03:09,256 --> 00:03:11,792 The flip side of that is this is also really good news 68 00:03:11,858 --> 00:03:13,593 for someone who's a predator. 69 00:03:13,827 --> 00:03:19,633 [sinister music] 70 00:03:20,267 --> 00:03:21,268 [Tony] I start this undercover case 71 00:03:21,468 --> 00:03:24,104 by creating a profile of a 14-year-old female 72 00:03:24,271 --> 00:03:25,639 named Alecia. 73 00:03:28,308 --> 00:03:30,310 I log in to Nevada One chat room. 74 00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:32,345 I just sit and wait until a predator decides 75 00:03:32,512 --> 00:03:34,915 he's gonna hit up on me. And it doesn't take long. 76 00:03:34,981 --> 00:03:36,516 [messenger dings] 77 00:03:36,616 --> 00:03:40,353 [Tony] At 10:34 AM, I get a message from phoenix89032 78 00:03:40,454 --> 00:03:42,456 with a coded message that says "A/S/L". 79 00:03:43,824 --> 00:03:46,827 I know that to be age, sex, location. 80 00:03:46,827 --> 00:03:49,029 This is just a very common opening question 81 00:03:49,262 --> 00:03:50,230 that gets asked. 82 00:03:51,531 --> 00:03:55,635 And I replied, "14, female, Texas. What about you?" 83 00:03:56,136 --> 00:04:01,074 And he immediately replies back, "42, male, Las Vegas." 84 00:04:01,575 --> 00:04:03,343 As soon as I said I was 14, 85 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:05,112 this guy should just disconnect and say, 86 00:04:05,312 --> 00:04:08,115 hey, sorry, you're too young. But that's not what he does. 87 00:04:08,348 --> 00:04:11,351 Because he says, "So you got a boyfriend, I'm sure." 88 00:04:11,451 --> 00:04:12,586 And I tell him, "I did, 89 00:04:12,586 --> 00:04:14,654 but he treated me like crap, so we broke up." 90 00:04:14,821 --> 00:04:18,024 And he responds, "LOL, he didn't deserve you." 91 00:04:18,225 --> 00:04:21,461 Then he starts to say things that really make me concerned. 92 00:04:21,661 --> 00:04:26,066 -[tense music] -[message dings] 93 00:04:26,066 --> 00:04:27,667 [Tony] It's really, really creepy behavior. 94 00:04:27,667 --> 00:04:30,237 And it red flagged to me that he's done this before, 95 00:04:30,470 --> 00:04:33,039 probably with real kids. Here's where he goes next. 96 00:04:34,508 --> 00:04:37,477 Right there, the line in the sand is drawn. 97 00:04:37,577 --> 00:04:39,479 This guy is an absolute predator. 98 00:04:41,348 --> 00:04:43,817 Every once in a while, lady luck throws us a bone. 99 00:04:44,985 --> 00:04:46,786 In this case, I received 100 00:04:46,786 --> 00:04:50,390 a friend request from phoenix89032. 101 00:04:50,457 --> 00:04:51,391 Once I accepted, 102 00:04:51,491 --> 00:04:54,060 it immediately swapped his username 103 00:04:54,261 --> 00:04:57,264 to his real name, Darryl Walizer. 104 00:04:59,466 --> 00:05:02,435 It's a goof-up on his part? Absolutely, 1,000%. 105 00:05:02,669 --> 00:05:05,238 And he's dumb enough to list his real name. 106 00:05:05,739 --> 00:05:08,542 And he doesn't even know that it's displayed out there. 107 00:05:08,708 --> 00:05:10,710 That's a big win for me. 108 00:05:13,914 --> 00:05:16,583 [Narrator] Tony calls in fellow detective Clint McNear 109 00:05:16,750 --> 00:05:18,952 to track down Darryl Walizer. 110 00:05:20,854 --> 00:05:22,589 [Clint] Initially, we need to help Tony 111 00:05:22,689 --> 00:05:26,193 positively identify who this person is. 112 00:05:26,259 --> 00:05:27,394 We need to know, are they dangerous? 113 00:05:27,627 --> 00:05:29,029 Do they have a violent past? 114 00:05:29,129 --> 00:05:31,231 Have they harmed other children, potentially? 115 00:05:31,298 --> 00:05:32,632 Who are we dealing with? 116 00:05:33,867 --> 00:05:37,270 I start by doing a background check on Darryl Walizer. 117 00:05:37,270 --> 00:05:39,873 What we get back is a heap of information, 118 00:05:39,873 --> 00:05:41,474 and none of it is good. 119 00:05:41,975 --> 00:05:46,680 Darryl Walizer has two previous sex offenses against children. 120 00:05:46,746 --> 00:05:50,951 The first goes back to 2004, Wayne County, Ohio, 121 00:05:51,017 --> 00:05:53,386 solicitation of sex with a child. 122 00:05:53,587 --> 00:05:55,589 Walizer did 10 months. 123 00:05:55,655 --> 00:06:00,427 Not long after, 2005, we're in Bedford County, Virginia. 124 00:06:00,427 --> 00:06:03,663 Walizer picks up yet another charge for solicitation. 125 00:06:03,663 --> 00:06:06,466 We get his prison records, reveal his mugshot. 126 00:06:06,666 --> 00:06:09,469 We get a picture of Darryl Walizer. 127 00:06:09,669 --> 00:06:11,438 We now know what our man looks like. 128 00:06:12,072 --> 00:06:13,240 We've got our guy. 129 00:06:15,308 --> 00:06:17,677 My next step is to go through any news articles 130 00:06:17,777 --> 00:06:21,381 and see if I may find anything related to Darryl Walizer. 131 00:06:21,548 --> 00:06:23,116 And what I find is 132 00:06:23,183 --> 00:06:26,353 one of the most remarkable backgrounds on an offender 133 00:06:26,586 --> 00:06:27,988 that we've had yet. 134 00:06:28,221 --> 00:06:31,191 [tense music] 135 00:06:31,258 --> 00:06:35,629 Darryl Walizer served 18 years in the Air Force. 136 00:06:35,695 --> 00:06:38,898 During that service, he was on Air Force Two, 137 00:06:39,065 --> 00:06:41,835 the plane of the vice president of the United States, 138 00:06:41,902 --> 00:06:45,038 all the while committing some of these offenses 139 00:06:45,138 --> 00:06:46,840 and preying on these children. 140 00:06:47,908 --> 00:06:50,944 His 2004 charge in Wayne County, Ohio 141 00:06:51,111 --> 00:06:53,480 ends his military career. 142 00:06:54,314 --> 00:06:55,916 [Narrator] Walizer's got history. 143 00:06:56,750 --> 00:06:58,351 Tony must move quickly 144 00:06:58,585 --> 00:07:00,754 to prevent him from harming a real child. 145 00:07:03,623 --> 00:07:06,860 It's now that Walizer drops a bombshell. 146 00:07:07,027 --> 00:07:09,629 [message whooshes] 147 00:07:10,864 --> 00:07:11,831 [Tony] I'm prepared for this 148 00:07:11,898 --> 00:07:13,466 because this is a really common thing 149 00:07:13,667 --> 00:07:15,268 that these freaks need, 150 00:07:15,468 --> 00:07:18,104 to hear the voice of a young girl 151 00:07:18,271 --> 00:07:21,474 who they envision in their mind that they're talking to. 152 00:07:22,108 --> 00:07:24,678 [Narrator] Tony enlists fellow detective Danielle May 153 00:07:24,911 --> 00:07:27,514 to be the voice of Alecia. 154 00:07:27,514 --> 00:07:28,915 Tony came to me and asked me 155 00:07:29,015 --> 00:07:33,586 if I would be interested in helping him provide a voice. 156 00:07:33,787 --> 00:07:38,058 He needs voices to create the realness of the chats 157 00:07:38,224 --> 00:07:39,859 that he's been doing online. 158 00:07:40,894 --> 00:07:42,228 [Tony] Danielle can sound like 159 00:07:42,462 --> 00:07:44,631 a pretty convincing 14-year-old on the phone, 160 00:07:44,698 --> 00:07:47,667 so I exchange cell phone numbers with Walizer. 161 00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:51,271 And what I need to do now is have Danielle speak to him. 162 00:07:52,138 --> 00:07:55,075 So, like, just before this call happens with Walizer, 163 00:07:55,141 --> 00:07:57,510 like, internally, what's going on? 164 00:07:57,711 --> 00:08:01,715 Is it a combination of fear and scared or nervous or what? 165 00:08:03,149 --> 00:08:06,820 Fear. Yeah, I'm nervous. I'm grossed out. 166 00:08:06,986 --> 00:08:09,589 -But I know I gotta do it. -You ready? 167 00:08:10,423 --> 00:08:11,424 Let's fire it up. 168 00:08:12,826 --> 00:08:14,627 [phone ringing] 169 00:08:45,492 --> 00:08:47,193 [Danielle] Walizer is one of the worst 170 00:08:47,293 --> 00:08:48,661 that I've spoken to 171 00:08:48,862 --> 00:08:53,032 that just shamelessly and quite directly 172 00:08:53,266 --> 00:08:56,836 showed his intent-- bad intent. 173 00:09:39,746 --> 00:09:41,114 I know it's a necessary evil. 174 00:09:41,181 --> 00:09:43,316 I know this is perfect for our case. 175 00:09:43,550 --> 00:09:47,987 But watching you is really difficult. 176 00:09:48,655 --> 00:09:49,856 Don't worry about that. 177 00:09:50,023 --> 00:09:54,194 This moment of uncomfortableness is completely worth it. 178 00:09:54,294 --> 00:09:56,262 [Tony] At this point, he's not hiding it. 179 00:09:56,463 --> 00:09:58,064 He's not hesitating. 180 00:09:58,064 --> 00:10:00,233 I need to get him off the streets fast. 181 00:10:00,333 --> 00:10:02,035 Time to set the trap. 182 00:10:06,539 --> 00:10:09,609 [Narrator] Detective Tony Godwin is hunting Darryl Walizer. 183 00:10:11,578 --> 00:10:13,913 The child predator has taken the bait. 184 00:10:15,482 --> 00:10:17,684 Tony's next step is to set the trap. 185 00:10:19,118 --> 00:10:22,822 He is so convinced now that Alecia is real. 186 00:10:22,889 --> 00:10:24,257 He just goes all in. 187 00:10:24,457 --> 00:10:27,460 Like, he's just texting for hours and hours. 188 00:10:27,660 --> 00:10:30,163 And all of this really significant 189 00:10:30,296 --> 00:10:33,099 sexual deviant conversation, 190 00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:34,934 it just simply confirms in my mind, 191 00:10:35,101 --> 00:10:37,770 like, I need to start putting something together now. 192 00:10:38,805 --> 00:10:40,273 I need to organize a takedown. 193 00:10:40,473 --> 00:10:47,113 [suspenseful music] 194 00:10:47,247 --> 00:10:50,250 [Tony] The problem with Walizer is he's never coming to Texas. 195 00:10:51,217 --> 00:10:52,785 He's got priors, and he's not allowed 196 00:10:52,986 --> 00:10:55,021 to leave the Las Vegas area. 197 00:10:55,221 --> 00:10:57,323 If he can't come here to see Alecia, 198 00:10:57,457 --> 00:10:59,659 then I'll take her to him. 199 00:10:59,859 --> 00:11:03,863 [tense music] 200 00:11:03,930 --> 00:11:05,765 I put a plan together for this takedown 201 00:11:05,899 --> 00:11:07,600 to happen on the first day of spring break. 202 00:11:07,734 --> 00:11:10,236 [text whooshes] 203 00:11:13,907 --> 00:11:16,676 [Narrator] Tony contacts law enforcement in Las Vegas. 204 00:11:17,944 --> 00:11:21,147 They connect him with Special Agent Marty Yates. 205 00:11:21,481 --> 00:11:24,684 I get a call from Detective Tony Godwin, 206 00:11:24,817 --> 00:11:27,086 and he explains to me that he works in 207 00:11:27,220 --> 00:11:28,821 Internet crimes against children. 208 00:11:29,022 --> 00:11:30,723 Said that he had met a guy online, 209 00:11:30,857 --> 00:11:32,926 someone that's in the Las Vegas area, 210 00:11:33,059 --> 00:11:37,263 that has expressed a desire to meet a 14-year-old girl. 211 00:11:37,397 --> 00:11:38,865 That clock starts ticking. 212 00:11:41,301 --> 00:11:42,869 [Tony] Alecia has indicated 213 00:11:43,002 --> 00:11:45,471 her mom is gonna go do some gambling 214 00:11:45,672 --> 00:11:48,107 at a local casino, which has a movie theater, 215 00:11:48,208 --> 00:11:49,809 and that while her mom is gambling, 216 00:11:49,943 --> 00:11:51,945 she's gonna attend a movie. 217 00:11:52,145 --> 00:11:54,013 And that's where she could meet Walizer. 218 00:11:54,180 --> 00:11:57,984 [text whooshes] 219 00:11:59,218 --> 00:12:01,421 [sinister music] 220 00:12:01,621 --> 00:12:04,624 [Tony] Walizer is so, like, amped up and ready for this. 221 00:12:04,757 --> 00:12:06,426 He's just so emotionally charged. 222 00:12:06,626 --> 00:12:07,760 He actually suggests that 223 00:12:07,894 --> 00:12:10,096 we have sex right there in the movie theater. 224 00:12:10,296 --> 00:12:12,098 It's not gonna be difficult to keep him on the hook. 225 00:12:18,271 --> 00:12:19,839 [Narrator] The plan is for Marty's team 226 00:12:19,906 --> 00:12:22,709 to take down Walizer at the movie theater. 227 00:12:23,743 --> 00:12:25,211 Alecia tells Walizer 228 00:12:25,345 --> 00:12:28,114 that she will fly to Las Vegas the day before. 229 00:12:29,382 --> 00:12:32,418 The predator's response changes everything. 230 00:12:33,019 --> 00:12:37,624 -[suspenseful music] -[text whooshes] 231 00:12:39,959 --> 00:12:41,060 [Tony] If he goes to the airport 232 00:12:41,260 --> 00:12:43,663 and doesn't see Alecia, the case is blown. 233 00:12:44,697 --> 00:12:45,765 I have no choice 234 00:12:45,898 --> 00:12:48,268 but to organize a takedown at the airport. 235 00:12:48,468 --> 00:12:52,071 An airport is probably the worst location to try 236 00:12:52,272 --> 00:12:53,906 some sort of a takedown. 237 00:12:56,309 --> 00:12:58,611 [Tony] There are thousands of passengers coming and going. 238 00:12:58,745 --> 00:13:01,214 It's the worst case scenario in my mind. 239 00:13:02,048 --> 00:13:03,182 I'm not there. 240 00:13:03,383 --> 00:13:05,785 I have no control over anything that's gonna happen. 241 00:13:05,918 --> 00:13:11,224 [tense music] 242 00:13:14,294 --> 00:13:16,863 [Narrator] Marty and his team wait for two hours. 243 00:13:16,996 --> 00:13:20,366 -[tense music] -[indistinct chatter] 244 00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:28,007 [Narrator] Then at 8 PM, they spot their target. 245 00:13:30,243 --> 00:13:33,112 When I see Walizer walking into the terminal, 246 00:13:33,312 --> 00:13:36,716 from a law enforcement standpoint, you start to think, 247 00:13:36,783 --> 00:13:39,185 OK, well, now what's gonna go wrong? 248 00:13:40,019 --> 00:13:43,022 We have five agents on the terminal floor. 249 00:13:43,156 --> 00:13:45,425 I have Las Vegas Metro Police Department. 250 00:13:45,625 --> 00:13:47,026 I can feel the tension. 251 00:13:47,694 --> 00:13:52,231 Walizer is constantly scanning every angle. 252 00:13:52,865 --> 00:13:55,168 All it would take is for Walizer to look up 253 00:13:55,301 --> 00:13:58,304 and see two or three people looking at him, and he's gone. 254 00:14:00,606 --> 00:14:02,308 [text whoosh] 255 00:14:02,442 --> 00:14:04,110 [Tony] Once Alecia's flight lands, 256 00:14:04,243 --> 00:14:05,111 I send a text message 257 00:14:05,311 --> 00:14:06,713 to let Walizer know that I'm there. 258 00:14:07,547 --> 00:14:08,748 [text whoosh] 259 00:14:09,782 --> 00:14:13,553 [suspenseful music] 260 00:14:14,620 --> 00:14:15,722 [Marty] I call for the takedown. 261 00:14:17,223 --> 00:14:19,625 One Metro officers approach him. 262 00:14:19,692 --> 00:14:21,828 And then another, and then another. 263 00:14:21,894 --> 00:14:24,263 They just put the handcuffs on him. 264 00:14:24,330 --> 00:14:26,099 Thank goodness no one got hurt. 265 00:14:26,299 --> 00:14:27,867 We got him. We got him. 266 00:14:28,568 --> 00:14:31,070 As this arrest is taking place, 267 00:14:31,137 --> 00:14:33,372 I am on a phone call with Mart. 268 00:14:33,506 --> 00:14:34,474 I'm hearing noises. 269 00:14:34,540 --> 00:14:36,275 At one point, I hear some thumping, 270 00:14:36,342 --> 00:14:39,746 and then I hear this sort of guttural, 271 00:14:39,946 --> 00:14:43,349 "No! Not again!" 272 00:14:44,517 --> 00:14:46,686 [Marty] I'm walking behind the two agents 273 00:14:46,819 --> 00:14:49,822 that are escorting him to their police station. 274 00:14:50,456 --> 00:14:54,727 And the entire time, Walizer is screaming. 275 00:14:54,894 --> 00:14:56,095 He knows he got caught. 276 00:14:56,295 --> 00:14:58,831 He knew that the little voice in the back of his head, 277 00:14:58,898 --> 00:15:02,368 that he ignored or couldn't pay attention to, was right. 278 00:15:03,936 --> 00:15:06,639 I get Walizer into the police station, 279 00:15:06,706 --> 00:15:11,511 and he's just so defeated and just caves. 280 00:15:11,978 --> 00:15:13,813 One of his lines was, 281 00:15:13,946 --> 00:15:16,149 "I don't have anyone else to blame but myself." 282 00:15:22,054 --> 00:15:24,824 [agitated music] 283 00:15:25,024 --> 00:15:27,660 [Narrator] It's September 19, 2023. 284 00:15:28,694 --> 00:15:31,464 Tony's team prepares to raid the home of a predator. 285 00:15:32,999 --> 00:15:34,767 [knocking on door] 286 00:15:34,934 --> 00:15:36,469 [Officer] Hey, it's the police. 287 00:15:36,669 --> 00:15:37,870 Can you open up? 288 00:15:37,937 --> 00:15:39,672 [Narrator] The guy that lives in this apartment 289 00:15:39,739 --> 00:15:42,308 is screen recording vulnerable minors 290 00:15:42,442 --> 00:15:44,210 and rewarding them with gifts. 291 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,950 [Narrator] He has no idea that his sick enterprise 292 00:15:51,017 --> 00:15:53,586 is about to come crashing down. 293 00:15:55,421 --> 00:15:57,223 I have a complete full description of you, 294 00:15:57,423 --> 00:15:59,025 more than you think I would want to know. 295 00:15:59,158 --> 00:16:01,661 Not with my [bleep]. I don't show my [bleep]. 296 00:16:04,297 --> 00:16:05,865 [Tony] Predators are always looking for 297 00:16:05,932 --> 00:16:08,334 to exploit minors online. 298 00:16:08,501 --> 00:16:11,270 Take this guy, Joel Silverman. 299 00:16:11,337 --> 00:16:13,973 He used a live chat platform to groom a minor 300 00:16:14,106 --> 00:16:16,142 from the other side of the United States. 301 00:16:16,342 --> 00:16:18,945 This guy gave money and gifts to a child in order 302 00:16:19,145 --> 00:16:22,748 to get them to do things online and buy their silence. 303 00:16:22,949 --> 00:16:24,617 We had to take him down. 304 00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:30,523 [unsettling music] 305 00:16:30,656 --> 00:16:33,726 [Tony] This case begins on the 28th of August, 2023. 306 00:16:34,260 --> 00:16:36,062 I get a call from Detective Saronin, 307 00:16:36,195 --> 00:16:38,364 a thousand miles away in Minnesota. 308 00:16:38,498 --> 00:16:40,266 He's just spoken to a mom who's worried 309 00:16:40,399 --> 00:16:43,035 her daughter is talking to a guy online. 310 00:16:43,102 --> 00:16:45,104 Detective Saronin subpoenaed Snapchat 311 00:16:45,304 --> 00:16:47,607 for an ID on this guy's profile. 312 00:16:47,740 --> 00:16:49,742 The suspect's name is Joel Silverman, 313 00:16:49,942 --> 00:16:51,410 and he's in my jurisdiction. 314 00:16:52,144 --> 00:16:54,647 The mother's report points to this guy, Joel, 315 00:16:54,780 --> 00:16:58,584 being engaged in seriously illegal behavior with minors. 316 00:16:59,852 --> 00:17:01,621 [Narrator] Detective Saronin sends Tony 317 00:17:01,721 --> 00:17:05,024 a recording of the mother's call to the police. 318 00:17:07,693 --> 00:17:09,862 [line trilling] 319 00:17:29,749 --> 00:17:31,317 This hits me right in the gut. 320 00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:33,419 It literally makes me sick to my stomach. 321 00:17:37,823 --> 00:17:39,592 [Narrator] Detective Tony Godwin reviews 322 00:17:39,659 --> 00:17:42,795 a call to police from a mother in Minnesota. 323 00:17:43,429 --> 00:17:46,299 A predator in Texas is grooming her daughter 324 00:17:46,465 --> 00:17:48,467 to perform sex acts online. 325 00:18:28,674 --> 00:18:30,676 [Tony] The detectives at Moorhead PD in Minnesota 326 00:18:30,910 --> 00:18:34,280 then interview the 13-year-old Silverman has been grooming. 327 00:18:45,891 --> 00:18:48,661 [Narrator] Omegle connects strangers on live video. 328 00:18:49,495 --> 00:18:51,464 It's over 18s only. 329 00:18:52,131 --> 00:18:54,634 But curious minors do use it. 330 00:18:56,435 --> 00:18:57,603 They don't store any chats. 331 00:18:57,670 --> 00:18:59,271 They don't store any information. 332 00:18:59,271 --> 00:19:00,640 And you're anonymized. 333 00:19:00,873 --> 00:19:02,308 So that's problematic for us. 334 00:19:32,872 --> 00:19:34,874 [Tony] It sickens me to hear her talk about this. 335 00:19:35,674 --> 00:19:38,277 That's sexual performance by a child under 14. 336 00:19:38,511 --> 00:19:40,513 That's a first-degree felony in Texas. 337 00:19:40,513 --> 00:19:42,281 It doesn't get any worse. 338 00:19:45,017 --> 00:19:47,753 My team and I, we dig in on Joel Silverman. 339 00:19:47,987 --> 00:19:49,822 And we start using open source sites. 340 00:19:49,989 --> 00:19:52,792 We use websites, databases, everything we can 341 00:19:53,025 --> 00:19:55,194 to find out everything there is to know about him, 342 00:19:55,261 --> 00:19:57,830 where he lives, where he works, and a pattern of life. 343 00:19:58,664 --> 00:20:00,433 I have to make an affirmative link between 344 00:20:00,666 --> 00:20:02,268 the Amazon purchases that were made 345 00:20:02,435 --> 00:20:05,037 for this child by Joel Silverman. 346 00:20:05,271 --> 00:20:08,240 So I issue a subpoena to Amazon to confirm 347 00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:09,842 the information I already have. 348 00:20:09,909 --> 00:20:11,911 And they drive me right to Silverman's address. 349 00:20:13,712 --> 00:20:16,148 [Narrator] It's time for Joel to face justice. 350 00:20:17,783 --> 00:20:20,953 Tony secures a warrant to search Silverman's apartment. 351 00:20:23,389 --> 00:20:24,990 [Tony] Key to my plan is to bring in my partner, 352 00:20:25,224 --> 00:20:26,058 Robert Golladay. 353 00:20:26,225 --> 00:20:27,593 He's a member of the task force with me. 354 00:20:27,693 --> 00:20:30,596 He's also a digital forensic examiner. 355 00:20:30,663 --> 00:20:32,465 [Tony] So this is Joel Silverman. 356 00:20:32,465 --> 00:20:34,467 He doesn't have any real criminal history. 357 00:20:34,467 --> 00:20:35,468 He's not a violent guy. 358 00:20:35,634 --> 00:20:37,670 Nothing to indicate he's been violent at all. 359 00:20:37,870 --> 00:20:40,306 I think it'd probably be best if we send the team up 360 00:20:40,473 --> 00:20:42,641 to knock the door, and then when you get in, 361 00:20:42,742 --> 00:20:44,677 you can add hand him off to me at my truck. 362 00:20:44,744 --> 00:20:45,678 I'll bring him to you. 363 00:20:45,744 --> 00:20:48,114 I'll secure his electronic devices. 364 00:20:48,314 --> 00:20:49,348 And then I'll conduct a search 365 00:20:49,515 --> 00:20:51,550 and get back with you on what I find. 366 00:20:52,017 --> 00:20:53,352 [Tony] It's go time. 367 00:20:57,423 --> 00:21:02,194 [agitated music] 368 00:21:02,261 --> 00:21:04,430 [knocking on door] 369 00:21:06,866 --> 00:21:09,602 [Office] Hey, it's the police. Can you open up? 370 00:21:13,072 --> 00:21:14,507 [knocking on door] 371 00:21:14,673 --> 00:21:15,641 [Officer] Hello? 372 00:21:17,076 --> 00:21:18,878 [Officer] Yeah, can you open up? 373 00:21:19,311 --> 00:21:21,881 How you doing? How you doing? 374 00:21:21,947 --> 00:21:23,315 -Are you Joel? -[Man] No. 375 00:21:23,516 --> 00:21:24,984 [Officer] Do you mind stepping out for me? 376 00:21:24,984 --> 00:21:26,218 [Officer] Joel live here? 377 00:21:26,385 --> 00:21:27,753 [Officer] Hey, Joel, come on out, buddy. 378 00:21:28,387 --> 00:21:30,156 No, no, no. 379 00:21:30,222 --> 00:21:31,991 -[Officer] Come on back here. -[Joel] What's wrong? 380 00:21:32,091 --> 00:21:33,392 [Officer] Come on out here just a minute. 381 00:21:33,492 --> 00:21:35,027 -[Joel] Oh, OK. -[Officer] Right on out here. 382 00:21:35,227 --> 00:21:40,633 [tense music] 383 00:21:45,304 --> 00:21:47,072 -Joel is your first name, right? -Yes. 384 00:21:47,273 --> 00:21:49,241 -What's your middle name? -Uh, Silverman. 385 00:21:49,475 --> 00:21:51,310 Uh, Lemuel Silverman. 386 00:21:51,310 --> 00:21:53,078 OK, do you go by Joel or Lemuel? 387 00:21:53,179 --> 00:21:54,146 "Jo-el". 388 00:21:54,313 --> 00:21:55,548 "Jo-el," I'm sorry. Well, my name's Tony. 389 00:21:55,714 --> 00:21:57,349 [Joel] Hi, Tony. 390 00:21:57,550 --> 00:22:00,219 I want to have a conversation with you as to why we're here. 391 00:22:00,386 --> 00:22:02,188 Um... 392 00:22:02,388 --> 00:22:03,589 I have some very specific questions. 393 00:22:03,789 --> 00:22:04,590 OK. 394 00:22:04,690 --> 00:22:06,792 Do I have a warrant for my arrest? 395 00:22:06,892 --> 00:22:08,227 [Tony] Uh... 396 00:22:08,427 --> 00:22:10,396 -We're gonna talk about that. -Oh, OK. 397 00:22:12,097 --> 00:22:14,466 [Narrator] The evidence of Silverman's crimes 398 00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:17,436 is locked inside his digital devices. 399 00:22:18,470 --> 00:22:20,239 [Narrator] Tony sends Detective Golladay 400 00:22:20,339 --> 00:22:22,441 into the apartment to secure them. 401 00:22:23,275 --> 00:22:25,144 [Robert] Tony's talking to Silverman. 402 00:22:25,311 --> 00:22:26,679 I walk around the apartment. 403 00:22:29,114 --> 00:22:30,482 I find Silverman's bedroom. 404 00:22:30,716 --> 00:22:31,984 [Robert] No, right here. 405 00:22:31,984 --> 00:22:34,753 His computer is connected to three computer screens 406 00:22:34,987 --> 00:22:37,423 and several storage drives. 407 00:22:37,423 --> 00:22:39,425 We're going to secure them so that he can't receive 408 00:22:39,425 --> 00:22:41,994 a wipe command and destroy evidence. 409 00:22:50,870 --> 00:22:54,106 Silverman's online in an Omegle chat with a female. 410 00:22:54,273 --> 00:22:56,442 He could be committing another crime because he's recording 411 00:22:56,542 --> 00:22:59,345 the person on the other end maybe without their knowledge. 412 00:23:05,351 --> 00:23:07,186 [Narrator] Detective Tony Godwin grills 413 00:23:07,186 --> 00:23:09,755 Joel Silverman about grooming minors 414 00:23:09,822 --> 00:23:12,591 on the video chat site Omegle. 415 00:23:14,193 --> 00:23:18,564 Did you communicate with a child online 416 00:23:18,631 --> 00:23:19,632 in a sexual way? 417 00:23:19,832 --> 00:23:20,833 In a sexual way? 418 00:23:22,034 --> 00:23:23,235 -I have. -OK. 419 00:23:23,435 --> 00:23:26,005 In the past? Currently? How many times? 420 00:23:26,071 --> 00:23:27,873 Um... 421 00:23:28,073 --> 00:23:29,675 On Omegle, yes. 422 00:23:29,875 --> 00:23:31,443 What's the youngest you think you've ever talked to? 423 00:23:31,510 --> 00:23:33,679 Young-- 14, 15. 424 00:23:33,912 --> 00:23:35,314 Do you record it? 425 00:23:35,514 --> 00:23:36,282 I do. 426 00:23:36,482 --> 00:23:38,751 I want to be more confrontational, 427 00:23:39,585 --> 00:23:41,153 but I can't be. 428 00:23:41,353 --> 00:23:43,522 It doesn't benefit me to do that. 429 00:23:43,589 --> 00:23:45,391 I've learned that over the years. 430 00:23:46,225 --> 00:23:48,994 I just let him hang himself with his own words 431 00:23:49,061 --> 00:23:52,197 that will be documented heavily and highly after the fact. 432 00:23:52,865 --> 00:23:55,834 Here's what I know. I know you talked to a girl. 433 00:23:55,834 --> 00:23:57,636 I know she was 13. 434 00:23:57,636 --> 00:23:59,838 I know that she live streamed with you. 435 00:24:03,275 --> 00:24:05,010 -I know that you masturbated. -No. 436 00:24:05,077 --> 00:24:07,279 [Tony] She de-- Yes, shes 437 00:24:07,479 --> 00:24:09,048 Trust me when I tell you. 438 00:24:09,114 --> 00:24:11,083 I have a complete full description of you, 439 00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:12,985 more than you think I would want to know. 440 00:24:12,985 --> 00:24:15,354 Not with my [bleep]. I don't show my [bleep]. 441 00:24:16,355 --> 00:24:18,357 That's the honest truth. 442 00:24:18,557 --> 00:24:20,826 [Tony] Have you ever paid any of the girls? 443 00:24:21,026 --> 00:24:23,629 -Paid? -Paid them. 444 00:24:23,629 --> 00:24:25,631 [stammers] I give them gifts. 445 00:24:25,631 --> 00:24:29,201 -[Tony] Like? -Uh, Amazon gift cards. 446 00:24:32,871 --> 00:24:34,840 How much? 447 00:24:34,907 --> 00:24:37,476 Forty to eighty dollars. 448 00:24:37,676 --> 00:24:38,844 Each time or? 449 00:24:39,044 --> 00:24:44,717 Uh, just, just to, just to, um... 450 00:24:44,950 --> 00:24:46,151 kinda like, thank you. 451 00:24:46,352 --> 00:24:48,754 Or like, hey, you deserve this, you know? 452 00:24:49,388 --> 00:24:54,793 The fact that Silverman thanks these children for being paid 453 00:24:54,994 --> 00:24:59,198 for the sex acts that they've done for his gratification 454 00:24:59,264 --> 00:25:01,667 makes my stomach sick. 455 00:25:01,867 --> 00:25:03,769 He has done so much damage 456 00:25:03,836 --> 00:25:06,638 and has absolutely no clue that he's done that. 457 00:25:08,073 --> 00:25:10,042 [Narrator] Inside Silverman's apartment, 458 00:25:10,242 --> 00:25:12,244 Detective Golladay completes his scan 459 00:25:12,311 --> 00:25:14,513 of the suspect's computer. 460 00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:17,049 [Robert] I find a whole treasure trove of evidence. 461 00:25:17,116 --> 00:25:19,952 A lot of incriminating images and videos. 462 00:25:20,018 --> 00:25:23,122 I also find a video of the minor 463 00:25:23,188 --> 00:25:26,392 that he was communicating with from Minnesota. 464 00:25:26,625 --> 00:25:28,994 He was clearly filmed without her consent. 465 00:25:30,229 --> 00:25:32,030 [Tony] I get a message from Detective Golladay 466 00:25:32,231 --> 00:25:33,632 to let me know what he's found, 467 00:25:33,832 --> 00:25:36,402 and I can make the arrest any time I'm ready. 468 00:25:36,468 --> 00:25:39,238 I was told that they did find some things. 469 00:25:39,438 --> 00:25:40,672 You are gonna be arrested. 470 00:25:40,672 --> 00:25:43,675 You will get transferred to Dallas County. 471 00:25:43,675 --> 00:25:46,044 The charge is pretty heavy, I'm not gonna lie to you. 472 00:25:46,111 --> 00:25:48,881 It's called sexual performance of a child under 14, 473 00:25:49,081 --> 00:25:51,116 and that's pretty serious. 474 00:25:51,316 --> 00:25:52,551 Pretty serious. 475 00:25:52,785 --> 00:25:53,986 [Joel, tearfully] I'm sorry, I just... 476 00:25:53,986 --> 00:25:55,954 [Tony] Silverman is just blubbering and crying. 477 00:25:56,155 --> 00:25:59,425 [somber music] 478 00:25:59,625 --> 00:26:00,993 [Tony] But he's calculated. 479 00:26:01,060 --> 00:26:03,028 He's manipulating every situation 480 00:26:03,028 --> 00:26:06,031 for his own sexual gratification and benefit. 481 00:26:06,231 --> 00:26:09,601 Every purchase he makes, every request he has, 482 00:26:09,802 --> 00:26:12,671 every bit of it just further exploits kids. 483 00:26:12,871 --> 00:26:15,641 He has no regard for any of that, 484 00:26:15,707 --> 00:26:19,078 and that's really, truly the sad fact. 485 00:26:25,517 --> 00:26:27,953 [Tony] The Silverman case is an excellent example of how 486 00:26:28,187 --> 00:26:32,558 a vigilant parent can detect and stop an online predator. 487 00:26:32,624 --> 00:26:35,227 The victim's mother recognized that something was wrong 488 00:26:35,427 --> 00:26:37,629 and contacted law enforcement to prevent Silverman 489 00:26:37,629 --> 00:26:40,632 from harming her child and other children. 490 00:26:42,034 --> 00:26:44,203 If you're a parent, follow the mother's example. 491 00:26:44,436 --> 00:26:46,638 Engage with your child about their use of the Internet 492 00:26:46,705 --> 00:26:49,074 and ask questions when things don't feel right. 493 00:26:51,076 --> 00:26:53,512 [Narrator] August 3, 2023. 494 00:26:53,512 --> 00:26:56,715 Detective Tony and his team stake out a gas station. 495 00:26:59,151 --> 00:27:01,753 [Tony] We are here to wait for 496 00:27:01,987 --> 00:27:04,957 the arrival of Kenneth Douglas Rosenbaum. 497 00:27:05,023 --> 00:27:08,227 His vanity name is Dugefresh. 498 00:27:10,429 --> 00:27:13,832 [Narrator] He's a brazen predator, yet cautious. 499 00:27:14,867 --> 00:27:17,970 It takes Tony weeks to lure him out into the open 500 00:27:19,071 --> 00:27:21,840 and force him to face up to his crime. 501 00:27:36,388 --> 00:27:40,626 This guy, Doug Rosenbaum, from the first contact, 502 00:27:40,626 --> 00:27:43,595 his deviant sexual intentions were clear. 503 00:27:43,662 --> 00:27:45,397 His grooming skills showed me that he was 504 00:27:45,464 --> 00:27:48,634 an experienced predator that's just never been caught. 505 00:27:48,867 --> 00:27:51,436 We had to go slow to lure this guy from the shadows, 506 00:27:51,637 --> 00:27:53,405 and when it looked like he was about to emerge, 507 00:27:53,472 --> 00:27:56,074 he threw us a curveball that had us scrambling. 508 00:27:56,275 --> 00:28:01,880 [unsettling music] 509 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,350 [Narrator] Hunting predators is no 9-to-5 job. 510 00:28:05,551 --> 00:28:08,320 Tony communicates at all hours of the day and night 511 00:28:08,387 --> 00:28:10,923 to make them believe his undercover identities 512 00:28:10,989 --> 00:28:12,190 are real. 513 00:28:15,427 --> 00:28:18,997 [Tony] On July 27th of 2023, I started an online proactive 514 00:28:19,064 --> 00:28:22,200 undercover investigation on a platform called Chat Hour. 515 00:28:22,434 --> 00:28:23,769 Chat Hour is a social media network 516 00:28:23,835 --> 00:28:26,838 that you can message people individually. 517 00:28:27,039 --> 00:28:28,874 You can be in a group chat. 518 00:28:29,074 --> 00:28:32,644 There's a lot of predatory behavior that happens on there. 519 00:28:32,711 --> 00:28:35,247 Real kids have been victimized on this platform, 520 00:28:35,314 --> 00:28:37,316 which is why I'm doing a proactive case here. 521 00:28:39,184 --> 00:28:41,186 I set up this profile using the name Bailey, 522 00:28:41,386 --> 00:28:43,956 a 14-year-old female from the Dallas, Texas area. 523 00:28:44,957 --> 00:28:48,193 [Narrator] Tony cannot reveal Bailey's profile picture. 524 00:28:48,427 --> 00:28:49,428 He uses it today 525 00:28:49,628 --> 00:28:52,397 in active investigations to catch predators. 526 00:28:53,465 --> 00:28:54,833 She's got her tongue sticking out. 527 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:56,835 It's just a selfie of her. 528 00:28:57,035 --> 00:29:00,238 I put myself out there, and I just wait and see what happens. 529 00:29:00,439 --> 00:29:03,442 At 9.15 PM, I got a message, private direct message, 530 00:29:03,508 --> 00:29:05,244 from a user named Dugefresh. 531 00:29:05,444 --> 00:29:07,079 -[message blips] -[intense music] 532 00:29:14,386 --> 00:29:15,554 Really? 533 00:29:16,955 --> 00:29:18,156 You're gonna look at an innocent picture 534 00:29:18,357 --> 00:29:20,993 of a 14-year-old girl who's just got her tongue sticking out 535 00:29:21,193 --> 00:29:23,629 and turn it sexual right off the bat? 536 00:29:23,629 --> 00:29:25,998 I mean, classic predator behavior. 537 00:29:26,665 --> 00:29:28,000 He takes that innocent picture, 538 00:29:28,066 --> 00:29:30,235 uses it for his own sexual gratification. 539 00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:31,603 Really disturbing. 540 00:29:33,272 --> 00:29:36,041 This guy's a predator. It's time for me to dig in. 541 00:29:37,643 --> 00:29:42,080 -[dramatic music] -[message blips] 542 00:29:48,186 --> 00:29:50,355 No, Doug. That's not okay. 543 00:29:51,189 --> 00:29:52,357 You're a grown-ass man wanting 544 00:29:52,557 --> 00:29:55,427 to have sex with a 14-year-old kid? 545 00:29:55,427 --> 00:29:56,595 What are you thinking? 546 00:29:56,662 --> 00:29:59,364 You should take this opportunity to walk away, 547 00:29:59,431 --> 00:30:01,466 but I don't think you're gonna do that. 548 00:30:01,667 --> 00:30:03,368 Time for me to figure out more about Dugefresh. 549 00:30:07,339 --> 00:30:10,876 [Narrator] Detective Tony Godwin is using an undercover profile 550 00:30:11,076 --> 00:30:15,280 to communicate with a child predator called Dugefresh. 551 00:30:19,584 --> 00:30:21,820 [Tony] After about four days of this back and forth, 552 00:30:21,987 --> 00:30:25,590 I suggest we move out of the chat room on Chat Hour, 553 00:30:25,791 --> 00:30:27,993 and we try something a little bit more direct. 554 00:30:29,027 --> 00:30:33,432 [unsettling music] [message blips] 555 00:30:34,266 --> 00:30:36,068 [Tony] Now, at this point, 556 00:30:36,234 --> 00:30:38,036 I give him my undercover number. 557 00:30:38,036 --> 00:30:39,871 It tracks everything that I do. 558 00:30:39,871 --> 00:30:41,673 It documents everything for me. 559 00:30:41,673 --> 00:30:43,642 It's a best-case scenario. 560 00:30:43,875 --> 00:30:45,877 As soon as I give him that number, 561 00:30:46,078 --> 00:30:48,280 he text messages me right off the bat. 562 00:30:50,782 --> 00:30:53,352 My day's doing a lot better today, Doug. 563 00:30:53,418 --> 00:30:55,187 Thank you. I got your phone number now. 564 00:30:55,387 --> 00:30:56,822 Now I'm gonna figure out who you are. 565 00:30:59,024 --> 00:31:01,793 [Narrator] Tony enlists digital analyst Tavie Guthrie 566 00:31:02,027 --> 00:31:04,596 to unmask Dugefresh. 567 00:31:05,864 --> 00:31:08,233 [Tavie] Tony gives me a cell phone number. 568 00:31:08,333 --> 00:31:11,002 First thing I do is just check our local database. 569 00:31:12,871 --> 00:31:15,040 The DMV is showing me his DL photo 570 00:31:15,907 --> 00:31:19,177 and the name Kenneth Douglas Rosenbaum. 571 00:31:19,311 --> 00:31:20,712 So I guess Dugefresh is 572 00:31:20,912 --> 00:31:22,948 a play on Douglas, his middle name. 573 00:31:25,350 --> 00:31:26,952 We got you, Dugefresh. 574 00:31:31,790 --> 00:31:34,226 This is our guy, Kenneth Douglas Rosenbaum. 575 00:31:34,226 --> 00:31:36,828 His cell phone puts him in Pottsboro, Texas. 576 00:31:37,028 --> 00:31:39,464 But I've got another address in Hot Springs, Arkansas. 577 00:31:39,664 --> 00:31:41,500 His priors say he's got a DUI. 578 00:31:41,666 --> 00:31:43,235 If Tony takes him down, 579 00:31:43,235 --> 00:31:45,203 he just needs to know that when he gets there, 580 00:31:45,270 --> 00:31:47,038 we don't have a registered vehicle for him. 581 00:31:47,105 --> 00:31:49,074 So he doesn't know what he's getting. 582 00:31:49,074 --> 00:31:53,678 Um--oh, and Dugefresh, he is not 55. 583 00:31:54,312 --> 00:31:55,714 He's 60. 584 00:31:55,914 --> 00:31:59,551 [sinister music] 585 00:31:59,618 --> 00:32:02,587 [Tony] Now that we've moved to text messaging, Rosenbaum is-- 586 00:32:02,788 --> 00:32:03,822 he's on fire. 587 00:32:03,989 --> 00:32:07,225 He's blowing up the phone all day, all night. 588 00:32:08,226 --> 00:32:10,629 I have to keep reminding him that he's talking to a kid 589 00:32:10,829 --> 00:32:12,030 because I have legal requirements 590 00:32:12,230 --> 00:32:13,665 that I need to meet in order for 591 00:32:13,665 --> 00:32:16,401 the prosecution of a case to be successful. 592 00:32:16,468 --> 00:32:18,403 But that doesn't deter him. 593 00:32:20,071 --> 00:32:21,840 [music swells] 594 00:32:22,874 --> 00:32:25,243 He sends it kind of flippantly, like he's joking, 595 00:32:25,477 --> 00:32:28,313 but the reality is he's not joking at all. 596 00:32:28,313 --> 00:32:31,683 [tense music] 597 00:32:31,750 --> 00:32:34,786 [Tony] This guy is texting me all day, every day. 598 00:32:34,986 --> 00:32:36,755 No such thing as a day off. 599 00:32:37,389 --> 00:32:39,691 I can't even enjoy my soda in peace. 600 00:32:39,825 --> 00:32:41,460 Dugefresh texts again. 601 00:32:41,626 --> 00:32:43,395 This time he's a bit more cautious. 602 00:32:44,029 --> 00:32:46,264 "So it didn't bother you when I said I would wash your back 603 00:32:46,464 --> 00:32:48,633 "and dry you off last night? 604 00:32:48,733 --> 00:32:50,836 "Sometimes I say stuff I'm thinking about 605 00:32:51,036 --> 00:32:52,637 that maybe I shouldn't." 606 00:32:52,704 --> 00:32:54,439 These predators, they know what they're doing. 607 00:32:54,539 --> 00:32:56,508 They know this attraction to children 608 00:32:56,675 --> 00:32:59,644 is completely wrong, but they have moments when 609 00:32:59,711 --> 00:33:00,879 they're not thinking so clearly 610 00:33:01,112 --> 00:33:02,347 about their own deviant feelings. 611 00:33:02,514 --> 00:33:04,716 Dugefresh says, "To be honest, 612 00:33:04,916 --> 00:33:06,952 "I'm not attracted to women my age. 613 00:33:07,018 --> 00:33:08,353 "They're boring. 614 00:33:08,420 --> 00:33:10,956 I like to be spontaneous, do daring things, have fun." 615 00:33:11,590 --> 00:33:12,791 Well, clearly, we understand 616 00:33:12,924 --> 00:33:15,393 you're not attracted to people your own age, Dugefresh, 617 00:33:16,428 --> 00:33:17,262 which is why you're trying 618 00:33:17,429 --> 00:33:19,431 to groom and sexually molest this child. 619 00:33:23,235 --> 00:33:25,237 I kind of just play along with him at this point. 620 00:33:25,437 --> 00:33:26,438 [text blip] 621 00:33:27,138 --> 00:33:28,640 What I need from Doug now is to show 622 00:33:28,707 --> 00:33:30,475 what his real intention is, 623 00:33:30,475 --> 00:33:32,677 and that's to meet in real life. 624 00:33:32,744 --> 00:33:34,312 And I don't have to wait long. 625 00:33:34,512 --> 00:33:38,083 -[text blips] -[agitated, percussive music] 626 00:33:41,253 --> 00:33:43,555 I've got this guy right where I want him. 627 00:33:44,823 --> 00:33:48,460 [unsettling music] 628 00:33:49,027 --> 00:33:50,996 [Narrator] Rosenbaum agrees to meet Bailey 629 00:33:51,229 --> 00:33:53,832 at an apartment complex in North Dallas. 630 00:33:54,866 --> 00:33:57,802 Tony assembles his team to take him down. 631 00:33:58,637 --> 00:34:00,438 Next thing I know, Rosenbaum sends a message, 632 00:34:00,672 --> 00:34:02,274 which is a little bit of a problem. 633 00:34:02,941 --> 00:34:05,310 Delaying the meeting a few hours means it's gonna be 634 00:34:05,477 --> 00:34:07,479 getting dark when he arrives. 635 00:34:07,546 --> 00:34:10,282 We have to think on the fly and readjust. 636 00:34:10,782 --> 00:34:12,784 This predator, he can do anything he wants. 637 00:34:12,984 --> 00:34:14,352 So I got to make it where it's safe 638 00:34:14,452 --> 00:34:16,955 for us and for him and for everybody else. 639 00:34:17,656 --> 00:34:19,157 I know that this gas station, 640 00:34:19,224 --> 00:34:22,193 even at night, is really well lit. 641 00:34:22,827 --> 00:34:24,863 It's a real good substitute for our location 642 00:34:25,030 --> 00:34:27,499 to take him down if it's gonna happen in the hours of darkness. 643 00:34:29,701 --> 00:34:31,403 But he's really been cautious. 644 00:34:33,071 --> 00:34:34,906 And I'm hoping, like, a little last minute change like this 645 00:34:35,073 --> 00:34:37,042 isn't gonna, like, freak him out 646 00:34:37,142 --> 00:34:39,678 and make him, you know, not show up. 647 00:34:41,146 --> 00:34:42,514 [text blip] 648 00:34:44,950 --> 00:34:47,586 [Tony] It's 8:29 PM. We've moved locations. 649 00:34:47,786 --> 00:34:49,788 We're watching that Chevron gas station. 650 00:34:49,788 --> 00:34:51,189 I believe he's coming from Dallas, 651 00:34:51,189 --> 00:34:53,091 but we do not know what kind of vehicle he's driving, so... 652 00:34:53,224 --> 00:34:55,794 [suspenseful music] 653 00:34:55,894 --> 00:34:58,596 [Tony] By 8:45 PM, he still has not shown. 654 00:34:58,697 --> 00:35:00,632 I am quite on edge. 655 00:35:00,699 --> 00:35:03,835 Did I say something that caused this no show? 656 00:35:04,035 --> 00:35:08,039 -[text blips] -[suspenseful music] 657 00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:12,310 [Tony] He tells me he's pulling up. 658 00:35:12,911 --> 00:35:15,680 But there's not one car in that gas station. 659 00:35:15,914 --> 00:35:18,283 That statement is untrue. 660 00:35:18,383 --> 00:35:21,186 He is not pulling up because I have a complete visual 661 00:35:21,186 --> 00:35:23,154 on the whole place. 662 00:35:23,221 --> 00:35:24,289 So I'm in a bit of a panic. 663 00:35:28,093 --> 00:35:30,762 [Narrator] Detective Tony Godwin and his team 664 00:35:30,895 --> 00:35:32,430 stake out a gas station. 665 00:35:34,099 --> 00:35:36,267 They're waiting for Douglas Rosenbaum, 666 00:35:36,368 --> 00:35:40,238 the child predator who calls himself Dugefresh. 667 00:35:42,307 --> 00:35:43,908 [phone vibrates, chimes] 668 00:35:44,109 --> 00:35:48,013 [Tony] This is Detective Godwin the 3rd of August, 2023. 669 00:35:48,146 --> 00:35:50,849 Uh, Mr. Doug, "Dugefresh," 670 00:35:50,982 --> 00:35:54,185 has indicated that he is in the area. 671 00:35:54,285 --> 00:35:58,690 Says he's here in this, uh, parking lot of the Chevron. 672 00:35:58,857 --> 00:36:00,492 So stand by. We'll see if it's him. 673 00:36:03,094 --> 00:36:05,864 I need more information on his vehicle. 674 00:36:05,997 --> 00:36:07,666 So I text him again. 675 00:36:07,799 --> 00:36:12,037 -[text blips] -[suspenseful music] 676 00:36:14,372 --> 00:36:16,307 I'm not seeing a red truck, no. 677 00:36:16,508 --> 00:36:18,410 Um... 678 00:36:18,543 --> 00:36:21,513 By the time I do see a vehicle come in, 679 00:36:21,713 --> 00:36:24,349 it's not red, and it's not a truck. 680 00:36:27,819 --> 00:36:30,021 The message is really risky for me to send 681 00:36:30,155 --> 00:36:32,624 because it could blow up in my face. 682 00:36:33,258 --> 00:36:35,627 But at this point, I have nothing to lose. 683 00:36:35,827 --> 00:36:37,028 [text blip] 684 00:36:39,097 --> 00:36:42,267 [Tony] 10:18 PM, I get a message. 685 00:36:42,333 --> 00:36:43,635 [phone vibrates] 686 00:36:44,302 --> 00:36:45,470 [text blip] 687 00:36:45,670 --> 00:36:48,373 -[agitated music] -[siren wailing] 688 00:36:48,506 --> 00:36:50,375 [Tony] The subject is at the location. 689 00:36:50,542 --> 00:36:52,110 We have detectives on scene 690 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:54,512 contacting the subject at the gas pumps. 691 00:36:57,182 --> 00:36:59,751 [Officer] All right, sir. [indistinct] 692 00:37:00,585 --> 00:37:02,353 Can you get him out of here as quick as possible? 693 00:37:02,420 --> 00:37:04,089 [Officer] Hey, Brown, they want him out of here, 694 00:37:04,255 --> 00:37:06,591 um, online solicitation of a minor. 695 00:37:07,459 --> 00:37:10,628 [suspenseful music] 696 00:37:10,695 --> 00:37:11,763 Yes! 697 00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:14,065 [door shuts] 698 00:37:16,101 --> 00:37:19,871 [Tony] Now, it's time to speak to Mr. Rosenbaum. 699 00:37:20,004 --> 00:37:22,574 I have a lot of experience in this arena. 700 00:37:22,740 --> 00:37:26,778 And I've perfected this craft over the course of my career. 701 00:37:27,746 --> 00:37:30,348 And I need to gather a little bit of information from you. 702 00:37:32,417 --> 00:37:33,785 Tell me your full name, sir? 703 00:37:36,454 --> 00:37:40,091 [Tony] I come in nice and non-confrontational. 704 00:37:40,258 --> 00:37:42,927 I'm in the hopes that he might open up. 705 00:37:43,094 --> 00:37:44,662 [Tony] What brought you to Texas today? 706 00:37:44,796 --> 00:37:47,766 [tense music] 707 00:37:51,302 --> 00:37:53,371 OK. Talking online. 708 00:37:54,606 --> 00:37:55,673 OK. 709 00:37:58,710 --> 00:38:00,612 Did you talk about having sex with this girl? 710 00:38:22,901 --> 00:38:27,071 [Tony] When I challenge him, he has that realization. 711 00:38:27,172 --> 00:38:28,473 He, like, grabs his forehead 712 00:38:28,606 --> 00:38:30,909 in this, like, oh [bleep] moment. 713 00:38:31,009 --> 00:38:33,111 "I'm in so much trouble." 714 00:38:33,211 --> 00:38:36,314 You talked about having-- doing sex acts with her. 715 00:38:36,381 --> 00:38:38,149 -But yeah, yeah. -Right? 716 00:38:38,249 --> 00:38:40,351 Yeah. 717 00:38:40,418 --> 00:38:41,352 I mean... 718 00:38:45,456 --> 00:38:47,392 But you know talking in a sexually graphic way 719 00:38:47,458 --> 00:38:50,261 with a child is also a crime, right? 720 00:38:51,896 --> 00:38:55,567 [Tony] How he's able to spin that up in his own mind... 721 00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:57,669 He's a grown-ass 60-year-old man. 722 00:38:57,802 --> 00:39:00,939 He absolutely knows what he did is a crime. 723 00:39:01,105 --> 00:39:02,874 You do get and understand 724 00:39:02,941 --> 00:39:06,811 that any kind of touch that's sexual in nature, 725 00:39:06,945 --> 00:39:10,348 any kind of oral, you know that's a crime, right? 726 00:39:10,548 --> 00:39:11,549 With a child. 727 00:39:15,019 --> 00:39:18,423 Is your phone passcode protected or have a swipe pattern on it? 728 00:39:23,695 --> 00:39:24,762 OK. 729 00:39:27,265 --> 00:39:29,234 Is there child pornography on your phone? 730 00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:46,484 OK. 731 00:39:48,386 --> 00:39:49,821 You're not convicted of anything, Doug. 732 00:39:51,756 --> 00:39:53,091 Well, other than those-- 733 00:39:56,561 --> 00:39:59,063 If I'd have gone at him just hard and heavy from the start, 734 00:39:59,163 --> 00:40:00,632 he would have clammed up in a moment. 735 00:40:00,698 --> 00:40:01,833 And now he's admitted 736 00:40:01,900 --> 00:40:05,036 to having child sex abuse material on his phone. 737 00:40:05,103 --> 00:40:06,771 At this point, I have absolutely everything 738 00:40:06,904 --> 00:40:09,407 I need to convince a judge and a jury. 739 00:40:10,041 --> 00:40:12,110 At the end of the day, he could just stop talking 740 00:40:12,243 --> 00:40:15,313 right now because I've got him. He's going to prison. 741 00:40:24,055 --> 00:40:26,591 [Narrator] Douglas Rosenbaum never stands trial. 742 00:40:28,259 --> 00:40:33,064 On March 29, 2024, he takes his own life in jail. 743 00:40:33,798 --> 00:40:34,966 He made his choices. 744 00:40:35,099 --> 00:40:37,669 I carry the weight, but I don't carry the guilt. 745 00:40:37,769 --> 00:40:40,038 My job is to save kids. 746 00:40:43,541 --> 00:40:46,511 [dramatic music] 747 00:40:46,711 --> 00:40:47,712 The Rosenbaum case shows that 748 00:40:47,845 --> 00:40:49,547 even though the messaging platform-- 749 00:40:49,681 --> 00:40:53,084 in this case, Chat Hour-- is geared towards adults, 750 00:40:53,217 --> 00:40:56,688 it's easto gain access. teenager 751 00:40:56,854 --> 00:40:59,223 to protecting children online 752 00:40:59,424 --> 00:41:01,125 the age restrictions 753 00:41:01,259 --> 00:41:02,960 on the child's device. 754 00:41:03,094 --> 00:41:04,762 Rosenbaum was brazen about his sexual interest 755 00:41:04,896 --> 00:41:07,265 from the very first message he sent. 756 00:41:07,398 --> 00:41:09,701 So prevention is the key. 757 00:41:09,801 --> 00:41:13,471 Online predators can't reach children if those children avoid 758 00:41:13,571 --> 00:41:16,674 the places where predators lie in wait. 759 00:41:16,741 --> 00:41:19,310 And for those predators who are lying in wait, 760 00:41:19,444 --> 00:41:20,712 we will find you. 761 00:41:20,845 --> 00:41:22,513 It's just a matter of time.