Is Chris Hansen canceled? A look at 'To Catch a Predator' host's controversies amid ChrisHansenIsOverParty trend
In the past few hours, a rather strange hashtag has been making the rounds on Twitter — #ChrisHansenIsOverParty. Needless to say, the trend is targeted towards popular NBC journalist Chris Hansen, who earned considerable limelight for his segment ‘To Catch a Predator’.
The fact that #ChrisHansenIsOverParty is trending right now, goes to show how impactful the commentary community is. Big props to @JohnSwanYT for the video exposing his connection to Gene. Hansen has zero credibility now.
— Dr. Demonic (@ItsDrDemonic) January 26, 2021
In the reality TV series that aired on NBC, Hansen with his crew would execute a sting operation where they would catch potential sexual predators. The series, originally aired in 2004, conducted investigations across the US and helped nab sexual offenders by enticing them with fake online profiles of minor teenagers. Hansen continues to make podcasts on this topic and conducts independent investigations for his YouTube channel ‘Have A Seat with Chris Hansen’.
Why is #ChrisHansenIsOverParty trending?
However, Hansen recently came under fire from YouTuber John Swan. Swan released a video claiming that while Hansen hunts down predators who pursue doxing, harassment, and stalking, he has a nameless ‘hitman’ online who does the same with his critics. Called ‘The Anonymous Gene’, Hansen’s alleged ‘hitman’ apparently stalks and doxes confidential information of YouTubers who dare to criticize him, often allegedly engaging in cyberbullying as well.
While social media users did not take long to vilify Hansen on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit, the claims made by Swan are yet to be officially verified and investigated. In fact, some of the aspects of his alleged video even seem somewhat exaggerated and sensationalized, as pointed out by some Reddit users.
However, Hansen is a public figure who has been embroiled in multiple controversies and legal issues in the past, including an arrest. Here's a look at his controversial past.
Arrest and past controversies of Chris Hansen
In January 2019, Hansen was charged with larceny after a check issued by him to a vendor bounced. He turned himself in to the police, admitting that he had written bad checks for $13,000 worth of promotional items bought in 2017. The charges were later dropped.
In February 2020, a civilian charged Hansen with harassment (communication in a manner to cause alarm) in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Hansen’s iconic show ‘To Catch A Predator’ has also had its fair share of controversies and criticism. CBS News journalist Brian Montopoli argued that the show’s tendency of media trials by broadcasting the suspects on national television is not ethical and that the show creators are more focused on its ratings rather than bringing justice.
British columnist and TV critic once described Hansen’s show as “when a TV show makes you feel sorry for potential child-rapists, you know it's doing something wrong". He also raised questions about the selection process for female actors for the sting operations, where the team possibly auditions adult women who can pass of as 13-year-old. He reiterated if the auditioners are fancying such a candidate or analyzing her physical aspects for selection, then that tantamounts to pedophilia as well.
There have been multiple legal issues afterward around ‘entrapment’ — a practice where a law enforcement official induces someone to commit a crime that they might not have committed otherwise. Since Hansen’s show worked in direct coordination with law enforcement authorities, hence entrapment claims could be raised.
In 2007, charges were reportedly dropped against 23 suspected online predators in Texas who were initially investigated by Perverted-Justice, an online watchdog group of volunteers who aided Hansen’s show. The DA’s office dropped the charges since they found the evidence provided by Perverted-Justice to be inadequate.
The major controversy that reportedly led to the cancellation of the TV series occurred in 2008. Louis Conradt, an assistant district attorney in Rockwall County, Texas, committed suicide by shooting himself after the NBC crew and local police caught him talking with and exchanging photographs with a volunteer who posed as a 13-year-old boy. Later, a federal judge ruled that NBC had coerced the local police into unnecessary and exaggerated tactics simply for entertainment value, which created a substantial risk of harm.
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