I'm not the only one to ask.
Perhaps the
most comprehensive article about McLaughlin goes beyond simply reporting about
the important work that he does. It dares to ask some difficult questions. Would
the people whom McLaughlin arrests have actually acted out the scenarios they
construct in their online conversations with him? Are these truly their own scenarios,
or have they been drawn out and enhanced by an eager partner (supposedly a
fourteen year old) who encourages and gives direction to even the smallest hint
of perversion? In at least a couple of cases this seems to be what has happened,
and this is what is traditionally known as entrapment. To my mind, however, in
McLaughlin's case it would seem to go beyond simple entrapment. I get the feeling
that for many of those whom McLaughlin arrests, without his encouragement they
would never have taken their scenarios beyond the online world. With that encouragement,
it led them to jail.
Go to: Mother Night on the web.