Nicholas Bailey

Bailey, as shown during the court hearing

**Nicholas Bailey** is an unaired suspected predator involved in the Greenville, Ohio edition of **To Catch a Predator**. His interview is notable for his polite attitude and sharpness throughout, rivaling Chris Hansen with his quick responses.

## Chat with the decoy

Nicholas Bailey, a 19-year-old college student, engaged in an online conversation using the screen name "laybay343" with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. Unbeknownst to Bailey, he was actually chatting with a decoy from Perverted Justice. During their conversation, Bailey acknowledged the potential age difference between them, expressing concern that it might come across as "creepy" and mentioned that her father likely wouldn't approve of their relationship.

As the conversation progressed, Bailey's curiosity led him to ask about the girl's previous relationship, specifically if her ex-boyfriend, who was 20 years old, had engaged in any sexual activities with her. Continuing their chat, Bailey proposed the idea of playing a game of "strip pool" after learning that the girl had a pool table. He suggested they could watch movies together, "cuddle up, make out, all that fun stuff" if they got bored. Bailey implied that losing in "strip pool" would result in the girl being already undressed. The conversation eventually concluded with both participants deciding to end the chat and go their separate ways.

## Confrontation with Chris Hansen

During Bailey's arrival at the sting house, instead of encountering an actual minor, he engaged in conversation with the decoy, portrayed by Del Harvey. The encounter took an unexpected turn when Harvey provided a peculiar explanation, citing a toe injury caused by hitting a banister that led to bleeding. At that moment, Chris Hansen emerged and questioned Bailey about his intentions. Bailey defended himself, claiming that he was simply there to hang out. He admitted to having friends who were 13 years old and saw no issue with it. Hansen pointed out the significant age difference between Bailey, a college student, and a 13-year-old girl who was still in middle school. Pressing further, Hansen asked if Bailey could have socialized with college-aged girls instead. Bailey reluctantly acknowledged that he could have, but asserted that they were all on spring break. In an attempt to deflect blame, Bailey shifted responsibility to the decoy, stating that it was she who had invited him. Bailey adamantly denied having any intention of engaging in sexual activity with an underage child, emphasizing that his sole purpose was to hang out. As Hansen read through the conversation records, Bailey dismissed it as a "friendly chat," asserting that nothing would have occurred had a real child been present. Bailey asserted that since no sexual acts had taken place, he should not be held accountable.

However, he admitted to chatting with a few minors online, clarifying that as soon as he discovered their ages, he promptly ended the interactions. Bailey mentioned that he found younger teenage girls to be more engaging in conversation, stating that they "talk better" and are generally enjoyable to chat with. He argued that his interactions with them were purely to pass the time and that he never engaged in any sexual discussions. Bailey maintained his position that he never solicited sex from the decoy and emphasized his firm stance against engaging in any such activity with a 13-year-old girl. He acknowledged the wrongful nature of having sexual relations with a minor and adamantly stated that he would never engage in such behavior. Hansen then revealed that he possessed chat logs from five other decoys who posed as children with whom Bailey had conversations. In response, Bailey explained that while browsing the Ohio chatrooms, he observed a disproportionate number of younger girls, which struck him as peculiar and raised his skepticism. He claimed to have spent six to seven months in those chatrooms, which had age restrictions. Bailey maintained that he terminated most of the conversations with the decoys he engaged with. Bailey justified his preference for conversing with younger teen girls by suggesting that they were more interested in casual chatting, while older girls seemed to have different intentions while using the internet, leading to more forced conversations.

When Hansen referenced a different chat log where Bailey described himself as "creepy", Bailey clarified that he often used that term to characterize individuals he encountered online, as he believed many of them displayed unusual behaviors. He explained that considering meeting someone from the internet was a new experience for him. Bailey justified his decision to go to the sting house by explaining that all his friends were away on spring break, and he was simply looking for something to alleviate his boredom. As Hansen revealed his true identity and the presence of cameras, Bailey chose to remain seated. He reiterated his claim that he had never engaged in any sexual activities with a minor and expressed his firm stance that he would never do so. He inquired about the need to sign any documents and whether his face would be shown on television. Hansen clarified that, given Bailey's voluntary entry into the sting house after committing a crime, they had the right to use the footage as they deemed necessary. Bailey expressed surprise at this information, stating that he was unaware of these circumstances and found it "interesting." Subsequently, Bailey stood up from the stool and left the sting house. However, he was swiftly apprehended by law enforcement outside the premises and taken into custody.

## Aftermath

After his arrest, Bailey was charged with a single count of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, which was classified as a fourth-degree felony. However, as part of a plea deal with the prosecutor, Bailey pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted contributing to the unruliness of a child, which was classified as a misdemeanor of the second degree. The judge accepted his plea, and on September 7, 2006, Bailey pleaded guilty to the downgraded charge. As a result of his guilty plea, on September 15 of that same year, Bailey received a sentence of 90 days in the Darke County Jail, with 75 days suspended. He was placed on probation for two years and was required to complete 40 hours of community service.

Additionally, Bailey was mandated to undergo sex offender risk reduction and education programs. He was also evaluated for substance abuse and was prohibited from possessing any pornographic material. Bailey was subjected to random urinalysis to ensure compliance with drug and alcohol restrictions. Furthermore, he was required to provide DNA samples to the Ohio Attorney General's Office and pay fines, including a portion of the overtime expenses incurred during the investigation. According to Hansen on his *Predators I've Caught* podcast, Bailey now works as an accountant for a large retail store. He tried reaching out to Bailey but was unable to do so, and is open to hearing from him.

## Trivia

* Many TCaP fans assumed Bailey was a rapper who rapped about being in jail. It was proven by Hansen, despite having physical similarities, they are not the same person, although the lyrical content of the rapper's music is eerily similar sounding to Bailey's situation.
* Bailey is now married according to an unverified source.
* Bailey is only seen very briefly in the actual Greenville, Ohio episode, which shows him being arrested outside the sting house and his subsequent court hearing alongside the other suspects.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/arrested-charged-online-sex-sting/7ktjiz6wznCmHc5LYqxDMJ/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=laybay343
3. ↑ http://www.perverted-justice.com/index.php?pg=2006sep