Thomas Shin

Shin's online profile picture at the time of the sting

> *"Oh wow..."*
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> -Shin's iconic catchphrase.
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**Thomas Shin** is a potential predator featured in the Ocean County, New Jersey sting. He is known as *"The Santa Claus Predator"* due to a large amount of gifts he brought the decoy, which included strawberries, DVDs, and a stuffed koala plushie. He has been called a classic example of a groomer by Chris Hansen himself and fans of the show.

## Biography

Before the sting, Thomas Shin was a 36-year-old appellate court case administrator for the New Jersey Judiciary. Shin had initiated contact with an individual he believed to be a 12-year-old girl named "Valerie", unaware that it was actually a Perverted Justice decoy designed to catch potential child predators. Despite being well above the claimed age, Shin dishonestly presented himself as a 22-year-old man. Disturbingly, he engaged in grooming behavior, which involved complimenting the decoy's appearance and expressing a desire to spend time together. The nature of their conversation quickly escalated to highly explicit and inappropriate content. Shin discussed graphic activities, including pouring substances like maple syrup and butter over the decoy's lips and body, followed by the act of licking them off. Moreover, he made deeply inappropriate remarks about engaging in extended periods of kissing, using explicit comparisons to describe the decoy's lips. As their conversation progressed, Shin's explicit desires became more evident. He shamelessly mentioned his interest in touching the decoy's "boobies" and how it would arouse him. He expressed a strong desire to engage in passionate kisses and lamented the geographical distance between them, wishing they lived closer. Hours later, Shin's explicit requests intensified. He mentioned wanting to kiss the decoy's tongue and playfully blowing a "raspberry" on her "cute tummy." When the decoy shared an incident about almost breaking her buttock, Shin offered to provide physical comfort by massaging, rubbing, and kissing the affected area, claiming it would alleviate her pain. He even suggested a scenario where the decoy would lie on top of him while engaging in kissing. Shin expressed his amazement at the forbidden nature of their connection and his ability to feel attracted to someone decades younger than himself.

Shin's explicit requests continued to escalate as he delved into fantasies involving strawberries, whipped cream, and the act of eating and licking them off each other's bodies. He went further to suggest that he would be willing to go to her house if she ever felt lonely. Surprisingly, Shin confessed to the decoy that he had seen episodes of **To Catch a Predator** on Dateline NBC and was aware of the actions exposed on the show. He claimed to be worried and emphasized that he wasn't a "pervert," asserting that his feelings towards the decoy were genuine. He expressed his desire to "massage and caress" her, while also articulating his intention to engage in various sexual activities. Shin described his desire to kiss her deeply and passionately, hold her close in his arms, express her importance, kiss down her neck, undress her, caress her breasts, and kiss them as well. Shin asked if the decoy was willing to get naked and shared his intention to undress as well. He expressed a desire to "feel" her "hot butt," but also expressed concerns about his car being noticed by her neighbors and them growing suspicious. Despite his initial worries, Shin's hesitation disappeared as he expressed his eagerness to caress and engage in intimate activities with the decoy.

## Confrontation with Chris Hansen

Upon arriving at the sting house, Shin was greeted by a young actress named Casey Mauro, who was 18 years old and not the 12-year-old girl he thought he had been chatting with online. As he entered the room, Shin proudly mentioned that he had brought strawberries, whipped cream, and DVDs, even presenting a stuffed koala plushie as a gift to Mauro. However, the friendly atmosphere quickly shifted when Mauro mentioned condoms and Shin responded by saying he wanted to get to know her and that he would bring them on his next visit. Just as Mauro excused herself to get a drink, Chris Hansen made his entrance, catching Shin off guard. Hansen instructed Shin to take a seat and initiated a conversation. Shin, visibly nervous, admitted to working as a court administrator but initially lied about his age, claiming to be 24 years old. Hansen, ever vigilant, exposed the lie, prompting Shin to release a heavy sigh and confess his actual age of 36. In an attempt to justify himself, Shin spoke of his loneliness and shared his frustrations with dating sites. He speculated that his height or the prevailing stereotypes about Asian men being perceived as nerds or geeks might have hindered his success with women.

While trying to empathize with Shin's struggles, Hansen firmly emphasized the gravity of Shin's actions—a grown man seeking a sexual encounter with an underage child. Shin's behavior took a more disturbing turn as he confessed his desire to engage in a peculiar activity involving strawberries, suggesting he wanted the girl to bite off a piece from his mouth. Throughout the conversation, Shin's odd grunting noises further underscored his inappropriate behavior. Shin acknowledged the peculiar nature of chatting with a child online and even revealed that he had watched **To Catch a Predator**. He attempted to downplay his intentions by claiming that he wasn't planning for sexual activity since he had not brought any condoms. However, Hansen promptly refuted his lies, pointing out that Shin had indeed expressed his intentions earlier in their chat. Despite this, Shin persisted with his peculiar grunting noises and asserted that, even though he knew it was wrong, all he wanted was to engage in making out with the girl.
At this crucial moment, Hansen finally disclosed his true identity and the presence of cameras became evident. The gravity of the situation dawned upon Shin, who sheepishly waved at one of the cameramen as he realized the seriousness of his actions. He swiftly exited the sting house, only to be arrested with no resistance by law enforcement officers waiting outside.

## Aftermath

Following his arrest, Shin was originally charged with one count of attempted sexual assault, a second-degree felony, and one count of luring, also a second-degree felony. Both charges carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. After some time had passed, Shin opted to accept a plea deal. Although he managed to evade incarceration, he was sentenced to a lifetime of parole and was required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Under the terms of his parole, Shin faced the possibility of three to five years in prison if he engaged in new criminal activities or failed to meet his obligations as a registered sex offender. Additionally, neglecting to verify his address annually could result in a penalty of up to 18 months behind bars.

Little to nothing is known about Shin's life post-Dateline. Since his registry information is not public knowledge, he was likely registered as a Tier 1 (low-risk) sex offender despite the crafty grooming tactics he used on the young potential victim. State law only allows Tier 2 (mid-risk) and Tier 3 (high-risk) offenders to have their information be public knowledge. Even his mugshot is not available online. He lost his job as a court administrator and it is unknown what he is currently doing or if he still lives in New Jersey.

## References

1. ↑ https://observer.com/2007/07/n-j-judiciary-official-arrested-in-dateline-sting-of-predators/
2. ↑ https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/nj-28-arrested-in-sexual-predator-sting.48262/
3. ↑ http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=shinster007