Former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen and a film crew were on the scene during a child predator sting in San Francisco last month, which a neighbor said appeared to take place at a Merced Heights home known for its Christmas light displays.
Deputies with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office were caught unaware during last month’s child exploitation undercover operation when Chris Hansen, the former host of NBC’s To Catch a Predator showed up with a film crew, as the Chronicle reported last week.
Hansen and his crew reportedly confronted some of the men who were arrested during the operation, which will presumably be featured in his latest series, Takedown with Chris Hansen, on Hansen’s TruBlu network.
The deputies’ union said its members were not formally briefed or consulted on the arrangement, including some rank-and-file officials. Additionally, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins didn’t disclose Hansen’s involvement when they announced the arrests last week.
Tara Moriarty, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, told the Chronicle that Hansen had expressed interest in observing and participating in one of the department’s operations, adding that the partnership formed after the Sheriff’s Office conducted similar operations during this year’s Super Bowl and World Cup festivities.
Moriarty said that, despite Hansen’s presence, the July 29 and 30 operations were “planned, directed, and carried out by law enforcement.”
The operation appears to have been filmed at a house in Merced Heights, based on drone footage captured from above, which can be seen via ABC 7. A friend of SFist and nearby resident said the location appeared to be located at Garfield and Monticello streets, at one of three homes on the corner known for their elaborate light displays during the holidays, which has not been officially confirmed.
According to the Chronicle, Danilo Quintanilla, president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, acknowledged that the involvement of a television personality in an active investigation “may understandably generate scrutiny and questions about the role of media in law enforcement operations.” However, Quintanilla also said Hansen’s long-running work exposing online child exploitation could bring additional attention to the issue.
Per the Chronicle, Hansen has faced criticism from journalists over his undercover methods and relationships with law enforcement while also attracting a large following. Hansen will reportedly be portrayed by Robert Pattinson in Primetime, an upcoming A24 feature film (which looks like a horror film from the trailer) about his child predator sting operations.
Previously: Five Men Arrested In San Francisco In Child-Exploitation Sting Operation
Image: Chris Hansen; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Samsung
