The Problems with Net Nanny Sting Operations: Why Reform is Overdue
In recent years, law enforcement agencies have ramped up the use of "Net Nanny" sting operations to combat online child exploitation. While protecting children is unquestionably important, the tactics used in these operations often raise serious concerns about fairness, proportionality, and the individuals they target. As a criminal defense attorney, I have witnessed firsthand the troubling flaws in these stings and their devastating impact on people who, in many cases, have no criminal history or prior behavior suggesting a risk to children.
How Net Nanny Stings Work
Net Nanny operations typically begin on adult online dating platforms—spaces where individuals are seeking interactions with other adults. Detectives create fake profiles, posing as adults to initiate conversations. During the course of these conversations, the undercover officer "confesses" to being a minor, often mid-chat, and continues the interaction. In some cases, individuals disengage, but others, unsure how to react or manipulated by the scenario, continue the conversation, sometimes without any intent to act on it in the real world.
These interactions, even if they remain entirely online, can lead to felony charges for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. What’s more shocking is that the mere act of talking online can carry harsher penalties than actual in-person interactions. For instance, under Washington law, it is always a felony if an adult communicates with a minor for immoral purposes if that communication is electronic (such as a text or in an online chat room). If someone were to ask a minor an inappropriate question in person for sexual gratification, it would be a misdemeanor—not a felony. This means that an adult could walk up to a minor and talk directly to him or her about sexually inappropriate things, and it is seen as a lesser crime than if someone is at home, behind a keyboard, with no intention of ever actually meeting up with a minor in person. This glaring disparity in the law highlights a significant need for reform.
Who Do These Stings Target?
One of the most concerning aspects of Net Nanny operations is that they often ensnare individuals with no prior criminal record or history of harmful behavior toward children. And even more alarming, many of those entrapped by these practices are neurodivergent and/or developmentally disabled. Many of the people charged through these stings had no intention of seeking out minors and were only drawn into the situation by manipulative tactics used by undercover officers. These individuals are not predators, but the system treats them as such, subjecting them to harsh penalties that can include years of prison and lifelong registration as a sex offender. Even a charge of this kind can wreck a person’s marriage, cost their career, and ruin their life.
The Broader Implications
The stated goal of Net Nanny operations is to protect children, but the methods employed often do little to further that aim. Instead, these stings cast a wide net, ensnaring people who would not otherwise have been involved in any illegal activity. This raises critical questions about the ethics of these tactics and whether they are truly protecting children or simply inflating arrest statistics.
Moreover, these operations undermine public trust in law enforcement by creating the appearance of entrapment and overreach. Rather than focusing on actual threats to children, resources are spent targeting individuals who are lured into situations that would not have existed without law enforcement’s involvement.
A Call for Reform
The laws surrounding these types of operations are outdated and overly harsh. Reform is necessary to address the disproportionate penalties for online interactions compared to in-person conduct and to ensure that law enforcement resources are directed toward genuine threats to public safety.
As it stands, Net Nanny sting operations often do more harm than good, targeting people who pose little to no risk while failing to address systemic issues that truly endanger children. It’s time for legislators to take a hard look at the practices and laws enabling these operations and work toward a system that prioritizes fairness, proportionality, and genuine child protection.
Final Thoughts
Every day, I see the devastating consequences these operations have on people’s lives and their families. I wish the public could see it too. The criminal justice system should aim to hold the truly guilty accountable while protecting the innocent. Unfortunately, Net Nanny stings often fail to meet that standard. We need a system that reflects justice—not one that undermines it.