Child predators are the most despised individuals in society. When former NBC journalist Chris Hansen decided to take up the mantle of exposing them, he was hailed as a hero. However, Primetime, a dramatized snapshot of his life, reveals that his actions are not as straightforward as they seem. His work, while praised, raises ethical concerns and has unintended consequences, particularly when fame and money are at stake.

The To Catch a Predator series, which launched in 2004, involved Hansen’s team using decoys to lure suspected predators into revealing themselves. The show’s intense fandom, which remains active today, shows how deeply ingrained these themes are in the public consciousness, despite the series ending in 2007.

While Hansen’s work inspired others, it also created a new breed of vigilantes who operate on social media and streaming platforms. These groups, often disorganized, have been linked to violent incidents and false accusations, highlighting the risks of amateur investigations. Critics argue that these vigilantes are more reckless, driven by the allure of virality.

The documentary Predators, which featured a vigilante named Skeet Hansen, highlighted the questionable ethics of exposing alleged predators. Skeet’s argument that he should profit from catching these individuals, just as detectives do, raises serious questions about the commodification of justice. However, these vigilantes often get things wrong, as evidenced by incidents such as YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy’s public apology for wrongly accusing an Indian man.

The consequences of these rogue busts are severe. In Primetime, the catastrophic outcome of one such operation led to the suicide of Louis William “Bill” Conradt Jr., a chief felony assistant district attorney in Rockwall County, Texas. The film leaves the audience questioning the nature of justice and the cost of pursuing it.