This Makes No Sense

[MalahatTwo7]

Unless it was all just a publicity stunt on her part.....

Miss America Won't Testify In Sex Sting Case
Nelson Helped Police Arrest 11 Suspects

POSTED: 10:25 am EDT May 1, 2007

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. -- An undercover sex sting that used Miss America as bait may be in trouble after the beauty queen told prosecutors that she does not plan to testify against the men she helped arrest.

Lauren Nelson, 20, of Lawton, Okla., worked with police in Suffolk County to target would-be Internet sexual predators, taped for an episode of the TV show "America's Most Wanted."

She posed as a teenager and lured men into chatting online and meeting her at a home, where police and crews were waiting. Eleven men were arrested in the sting.

But one or all of the cases against the men could be in jeopardy after Nelson told prosecutors she did not plan on returning to Long Island to testify, said Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota in Newsday's Tuesday edition.

"Her agents have told us that she's not coming back to testify," Spota said. The Miss America Organization did not return calls for comment Monday from a Newsday reporter.

Given that Nelson actually spoke with at least one of the men arrested during the operation, Spota said he had instructed prosecutors not to present any more cases to the grand jury until they can "determine her involvement." One case already presented may falter, he said.

Attorney Michael Brown, who represents one of the 11 men swept up in the sting, said he had the right to cross-examine the beauty queen if she contends that she spoke with his client.

"You've now made Miss America a witness," he said.

Previous Stories:
April 25, 2007: Miss America Aids Police In Sex Sting

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.

[DeputyMarshal]

I wondered at her involvement in that in the first place. It seemed like a publicity disaster just waiting to happen.

Miss America posing as a teenager to set men up for underage sex charges. Just exactly what kind of dialogue was involved for them to set up an actual meeting?

Did it not occur to anyone that this would spin up as Miss America essentially acting like a sex line operator? Do we want to even speculate about how those conversations went with pure little Miss America pretending she was 14 and wanted to meet and have sex with some anonymous guy she met on the internet? What were her handlers thinking when they authorized this?

My hunch is that somebody in the Miss America Pageant business has woken up and figured out that this wasn't a good idea and is trying to cut their losses before it gets any worse.

[randsc]

My hunch is that somebody in the Miss America Pageant business has woken up and figured out that this wasn't a good idea and is trying to cut their losses before it gets any worse.

If so, screwing up criminal prosecutions of accused sex offenders is a lousy way to go about it.

And I believe that the stings happened before she won the pagent, so I doubt she had any handlers at the time.

[DeputyMarshal]

If so, screwing up criminal prosecutions of accused sex offenders is a lousy way to go about it.

Either way they're screwed with negative publicity. But then there's always the theory that any publicity is good publicity. At least this way they're limiting their loses to what the PD already has on tape and not opening themselves up to what could be very damaging court testimony. (Damaging for Miss America and the pageant's "image", that is.)

And I believe that the stings happened before she won the pagent, so I doubt she had any handlers at the time.

Nope. From the other article cited above:

Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization, said he initially was hesitant about Nelson participating in the sting, but agreed after speaking with Nelson's father and the producers of "America's Most Wanted."

I suspect that the prospect of free publicity (and possibly payments to the pageant) blinded them to how stupid an idea this really was for them.

Quoting Miss America from the same article:

"It would only take a matter of time before it got pretty explicit."

Yeah. That's just the "image" pageants have been cultivating... Not!

[HotTrotter]

Looks like a case of bad info some place

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/lo...-homepage-mezz

I saw the cnn report earlier that said who wouldn't testify then it was changed to she would

[randsc]

Nope. From the other article cited above:

I stand corrected.

[JohnVBFD]

They still have a Miss America????

[GodSendRain]

I don't think I've heard of America's Most Wanted doing a sex offender sting. I like the one that Dateline airs, "To catch a Predator." Maybe America's Most Wanted was trying to copy that program but didn't get all their ducks in a row. Hopefully they can sort it out and keep fighting the good fight.

[MalahatTwo7]

Well, now she is singing a new tune....

Miss America Changes Mind About Sex Sting Testimony
Nelson Helped Police Arrest 11 Suspects

POSTED: 10:25 am EDT May 1, 2007
UPDATED: 4:45 pm EDT May 1, 2007

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. -- An undercover sex sting that used Miss America as bait appeared to be in trouble until the beauty queen said Tuesday she changed her mind and agreed to testify against the men she helped arrest.

Lauren Nelson, 20, of Lawton, Okla., worked with police in Suffolk County to target would-be Internet sexual predators, taped for an episode of the TV show "America's Most Wanted."

She posed as a teenager and lured men into chatting online and meeting her at a home, where police and crews were waiting. Eleven men were arrested in the sting.

Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota said Nelson had told prosecutors she did not plan to return to Long Island to testify.

On Tuesday, the Miss America Organization said Nelson is "fully cooperating with the law enforcement officials." Spokeswoman Sharon Pearce said that included the district attorney's office.

Given that Nelson actually spoke with at least one of the men arrested during the operation, Spota said he had instructed prosecutors not to present any more cases to the grand jury until they could "determine her involvement."

Spota spokesman Robert Clifford said he could not comment on assurances that Nelson would testify because the district attorney had not been directly notified.

Attorney Michael Brown, who represents one of the 11 men swept up in the sting, said he had the right to cross-examine the beauty queen if she contends that she spoke with his client.

"You've now made Miss America a witness," he said.

Previous Stories:
April 25, 2007: Miss America Aids Police In Sex Sting

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.

I guess it would be "bad press" if Miss America, as an upholder of honesty and virtue, would go against an earlier made agreement?

[doughesson]

To paraphrase the "wise oracle" Rosie O'lesbian, "Two words for you:Publicity stunt.Google it."

[MalahatTwo7]

To paraphrase the "wise oracle" Rosie O'lesbian, "Two words for you:Publicity stunt.Google it."

Thats been my opinion since I first heard about it.