Seth had a feeling that something was off about this house, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The teenager seemed stressed for some reason, as if she knew something terrible was about to happen.
Then, he heard a loud voice from the other room. “What are you doing here?” Seth turned around and nearly screamed.
Seth Jones
Seth Jones was a plumber from a small town in Ohio. He didn't have many friends and mostly kept to himself. So, people didn't know what he was up to and what he liked to do in his free time.
Even his next-door neighbors didn't know much about him. But soon enough, everyone in the country would know his name.
Talking Online
Seth liked to talk to random people on the internet to pass the time. He had made one friend in India, one in London, and recently had been talking to an underage girl who lived just 200 miles away from him.
Seth and the teenage girl had spoken daily for a few weeks and eventually agreed to meet at her house.
On The Way
The girl invited Seth to her house while she was alone to have some pizza. He happily agreed and drove to her place, which took him about four and a half hours.
But he had no idea what was waiting for him at the teen's house.
Long Drive
Seth left his house late afternoon and stopped to pick up the pizza. Then, he drove along the highway, over 200, to her house.
As soon as Seth arrived at her address, he pulled up on her driveway and parked the car. Little did he know, he was about to be in a lot of trouble.
Inside The House
The teenager greeted him at the door and invited him in. Seth put the pizza on the counter and looked at the girl.
She seemed very nervous. "Everything is gonna be fine," he said, smiling. But, little did he know, everything was far from fine.
Small Talk
The pair ate the pizza and made small talk. Things were getting increasingly awkward between the two.
Seth felt that the girl was hiding something but couldn't figure out what. Then, suddenly, a stranger appeared from behind and made his way towards Seth.
What Are You Doing Here?
“Who are you?” Seth asked the man. He was terrified. Was he the girl's father? Or was he an undercover cop?
The man ignored his question, and instead, he asked him, “What are you doing here?” Seth had no idea then, but this man knew everything about him.
Just Hanging Out
The man kept asking Seth questions about the teenage girl and himself and why he came to her house. “We’re just hanging out,” Seth explained.
Finally, after about ten minutes of confusion, the stranger revealed who he was and what he was doing at the house. Seth was in complete shock.
Chris Hansen
The man hiding in the teen's house was Chris Hansen, a journalist with a 20-year career catching and reporting criminals like Seth.
He had caught many criminals and imprisoned them, but he had never met a man like Seth before.
Busted
It turns out that Chris had also brought company to the teenager's house. As soon as Seth realized this was a trap, several men with cameras came bursting into the kitchen.
Seth's face dropped, and he nearly fainted. The whole world was about to find out who he really was.
Set-Up
Chris was filming a documentary about people like Seth, and this whole thing had been an elaborate set-up. From the first conversation online to the house she invited him in.
The teenage girl was used to catch him in the act.
Free To Go
After realizing he had been caught, Seth started to panic. “You’re free to go if you want," Chris whispered to him.
Seth let out a sigh of relief, picked up his coat, and left the house. But little did he know, he was far from free.
At The Station
The police raided in on Seth and arrested him. They put him in the backseat of a police car and brought him to the station.
Seth proclaimed his innocence, but they had evidence and the footage recorded on Chris's cameras. So what did the verdict say?
Awaiting Trial
After hours of questioning, Seth was granted bail, but soon after, he was charged with three felony counts.
He pleaded not guilty to all three cases and is now waiting to stand trial.