Page 17 - Brian Bates News Today

Father, with a teenage son living at home. if brian can see it, kids can, too. and what kind of parent would want their children to see this? >> no child should have to grow up where their memories of childhood involve prostitutes, drug dealers, and pimps. >> in the mid-90s, brian bates first notices lewd behavior in his neighborhood and files reports with the police. but he feels his complaints fall on deaf ears. so he decides to do something about it. he picks up his video camera and takes to ...

He cant arrest people. and he doesnt carry a gun. but over the years hes captured hundreds of prostitutes and their johns on camera. hes made a name for himself locally, with his eye-popping video. but then, what he catches on tape here vaults him into the national spotlight. >> tell me what you were shooting and how it unraveled. >> well, at that time i was actually just driving through the neighborhood and saw -- >> the date is monday, july 8th, 2002. and brian bates is out videotaping, as usu...

Hunts point avenue in new york city. sunset boulevard in los angeles. las vegas boulevard in sin city. in any major metropolis, theres a place thats notorious for prostitution. but in oklahoma city one man is trying to force the worlds oldest profession out of his neighborhood. hes got a video camera, an internet connection, and a lot of guts. and hes putting the hookers and their johns on notice. ♪ >> it was in my neighborhood. it was in my front yard. it was at my neighborhood grocery store,...

They have this to say -- "the behavior we observed on the video is clearly a violation of lowes policy, and we have taken corrective measures to address this matter." as for the john, police arrest him, tow away the truck, just another day in the life of a video vigilante. >> if i was just some psychologist out there talking about how bad prostitution is, nobody would pay attention. but if ive got these over-the-top videos of people caught in the act, literally with their pants down, it becomes ...

Im just a security camera that moves around. >> it starts out as just a man and a video camera, but quickly grows into something much bigger when this regular guy turned video vigilante sees how powerful the camera can be, exposing hookers and the men who pay for them, drawing them out of the shadows. >> do you want to go to jail? >> i can do something that in a lot of cases an entire police force and millions of tax dollars cant do, and thats scare the bejesus out of the prostitutes and the joh...

>> when i turn these tapes in, theyre investigated for about a week, charges are filed against anybody who can be identified. john gets charged. prostitute gets charged. i literally serve this up on a silver platter. >> while patrolling the area, bates has snagged men from almost all walks of life. >> ive caught pastors, ive caught firemen, ive caught blue-collar workers. ive caught professionals. ive caught married men, single men, elderly men, high school guys, you name it. >> as a video vigil...

Friendly people in my neighborhood. a lot of ladies walking around. a lot of cars driving around. a lot of people waving at each other. i soon realized that was prostitution. >> as seen previously on "caught on camera," bates sets out to clean up the streets. and in even more recent videos, exposes the exposed. >> i cooperated with police, i joined my neighborhood association. one day i decided to use my video camera. i walked up to a car, a prostitute was engaged in sex with her customer. what ...

>> go, right now. get the [ bleep ]. move it now. go! move your [ bleep ]. >> you know youre [ bleep ] -- >> move, move! i will beat your ass down if you make a move on me. move! are you going at a woman because youre a [ bleep ] coward. move! >> over the years, bates has grown more concerned about what he says is the bigger problem -- underage sex and human trafficking. >> if you would have asked me seven or eight years ago does child prostitution, child trafficking happen in oklahoma, i would ...

>> armed with a camera and some serious chutzpah -- >> dont be bringing hookers down here, buddy. >> -- this video vigilante captures johns in the act. >> i hope youre not married. >> brian bates then posted the videos on his website, john tv for all the world to see. >> what are yall doing? >> nothing. >> what are you doing? >> are you kidding me? what is wrong with you people? >> bam, right there on the hood of the car. it was like an x-rated white snake video. >> people have seen this lowes d...

Im not going to let this 15-year-old get raped. despite whatever your thoughts are, shes 15. >> as bates waits for authorities, every minute counts. >> im ready to get out and confront him, but i know hes going to take off. about that moment, here come all these unmarked cars from every direction, hopping curbs and you name it, and stopped the car, get the girl out. they detained the guy. the vice officer gets back on the phone and says, thats her, thats the girl we were looking for. >> i apprec...