Chris Hansen’s TruBlu Takedowns
In the mid-2000s, television screens across America lit up with a spectacle that both horrified and captivated viewers: To Catch a Predator. Hosted by the unflappable journalist Chris Hansen, the Dateline NBC segment exposed the dark underbelly of online predation. Men arriving at sting houses, expecting illicit encounters with minors, instead faced Hansen’s calm, piercing interrogation: “Why don’t you have a seat over there?” The show’s raw confrontations led to hundreds of arrests and sparked national conversations about internet safety. But after a tragic 2006 incident in Texas—where a suspect died by suicide during a raid—the series ended abruptly, leaving fans wondering if Hansen’s crusade was over.
Nearly two decades later, as of November 2025, Chris Hansen is unequivocally back—and more relevant than ever. Through his co-founded streaming platform TruBlu, launched in 2020, Hansen has revived his signature format in Takedown with Chris Hansen, a web series that picks up where To Catch a Predator left off. Partnering with law enforcement across the U.S., he’s once again luring, confronting, and helping to bust alleged child predators. In an era where social media and gaming platforms have become hunting grounds for exploiters, Hansen’s return feels like a necessary reckoning, blending old-school journalism with modern digital vigilantism.
TruBlu, a true crime-oriented streaming service available on platforms like Roku and YouTube, serves as Hansen’s new command center. The network streams episodes of Takedown, where Hansen embeds with local police for multi-day sting operations. Decoys pose as minors in chat rooms, mirroring the original show’s tactics but adapted for apps like Snapchat, Discord, and even Roblox. “We’re dealing with predators who are savvier now, hiding behind VPNs and anonymous profiles,” Hansen said in a February 2025 interview with East Idaho News. “But the playbook hasn’t changed: They think they’re untouchable until they’re not.”
One of Hansen’s most high-profile 2025 collaborations unfolded in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, with Sheriff Jason Ard’s office. This marked Hansen’s fourth visit to the area for Takedown episodes. In a March operation, 11 men were arrested after showing up at a decoy house, including a police academy trainee plotting a “master-slave” exploitation scenario with a supposed 14-year-old, a school cafeteria worker, and a fast-food employee. “These guys come from all walks of life,” Hansen noted in a WAFB report. “It’s the soccer dad next door who logs on at night.” The episode, now streaming on TruBlu, captures the now-familiar chaos: suspects fumbling excuses as Hansen reads their explicit chat logs aloud, only to be swarmed by deputies outside. It’s grim viewing, but Hansen insists it’s purposeful. “After 21 years, I’m still surprised by the depravity,” he told The Advocate in November. “But these stings save kids.”
Hansen’s TruBlu work extends beyond traditional stings. In August 2025, he announced a documentary titled Predators, probing child safety failures on Roblox, the massively popular gaming platform with over 70 million daily users, many underage. Sparked by YouTuber Michael Schlep’s viral predator-hunting videos—which led to six arrests but resulted in his Roblox ban—Hansen’s project highlights the company’s alleged negligence in moderating predatory behavior. “Roblox is a digital playground, but without safeguards, it’s a predator’s paradise,” Hansen tweeted, teasing footage of in-game grooming attempts. The doc, set for release later this year, underscores how platforms profit from kids while exposing them to harm—a timely critique amid rising online child exploitation cases.
This resurgence isn’t without controversy. A September 2025 New York Times Magazine piece and the MTV Documentary Films’ Predators (streaming on Paramount+ since December) revisit To Catch a Predator’s legacy, questioning its ethics: the public shaming, the role of vigilante group Perverted-Justice, and that fateful Texas suicide. Director David Osit interviews Hansen, who defends his work as survivor-driven: “It’s for the victims, not the spectacle.” Yet critics argue the format risks glorifying humiliation over rehabilitation, especially as copycat YouTubers dilute its impact. Hansen, undeterred, hosts the podcast Predators I’ve Caught, dissecting past cases and fielding listener questions, proving his commitment endures.
At 66, Hansen’s voice remains steady, his moral compass unyielding. In a June 2025 YouTube compilation of TruBlu’s “most disturbing” takedowns, he confronts a repeat offender begging, “Please don’t hurt me,” mistaking cops for cartel enforcers—a poignant reminder of predators’ fragility when the power flips. Through TruBlu, Hansen has facilitated dozens of arrests this year alone, from Florida hotel stings to Michigan hotel operations. As he told NPR in September, “The internet’s evolved, but the threats haven’t. We’re just getting started.”
Hansen’s comeback isn’t nostalgia—it’s evolution. In a world where one in five kids faces online solicitation, his TruBlu mission arms parents with awareness and law enforcement with evidence. Whether grilling a “fanboy” in Polk County or exposing Roblox’s blind spots, Hansen proves the predator hunter’s work is far from done. As he might say: Have a seat. The conversation—and the busts—continue.