Dan Allen

Daniel Joseph Allen was born on March 15, 1957. In the 1980s and 1990s, Allen had relationships with many different women, but none lasted long. He received a year in prison and five years of probation after being found guilty of felony stalking in the middle of the 1990s.

Allen entered the sting house in a relaxed and joyful mindset. Del Harvey , posing as the teenage girl, talks to Allen from another room. The two converse before Chris Hansen enters the room and tells Allen to sit. Allen acknowledged that he went to the house to see a girl but insisted he wasn't sure of her age. He claimed he was "just curious," so he was at the house. He claimed he didn't bring any booze or condoms. Allen said that he could show that his car was outside. He continued by asserting that "curiosity" ultimately got the better of him. Dan Allen then starts to pace and fears Chris is a police officer. Allen stated that he was unaware that the girl was thirteen years old and that he had a sexually explicit conversation with her since it was the norm on the internet. He insisted that he had informed the girl online that he only wanted to meet her because she seemed like a "nice person" and that he was still "curious."

Then he added that he "had [his] big doubts" about her being thirteen. After Chris informed him that the girl had told him she was thirteen, Allen stated he met other people who weren't thirteen and turned out to be twenty-five-year-old guys. Chris tells Allen that while no one is concerned about what consenting adults do online when a child is involved, it becomes a problem. Then Allen reiterates that he believes that the person is never thirteen because of a few prior events. Chris queries if this wasn't the first time he had visited others online who claimed to be thirteen years old. Daniel later recants his statement, claiming he had never met a thirteen-year-old girl. He acknowledged that he had attempted to meet a sixteen-year-old, but it had been a guy. Allen described it as "role-play" while Chris continued to read from the dialogue.

Allen says he questioned the girl if she was "for real," that he didn't need that in his life because he took care of his blind father, and that he didn't want to get in trouble as he started to feel more nervous. He reiterates that he would only meet the girl because he thought she was excellent. Allen repeated his claim that he didn't know the child was thirteen since he believed she intentionally misspelled words. When Chris read additional sexually explicit quotes, he declared he assumed it was a gay man. If Chris hadn't been there and a real child had been, Allen asserted, he would have spoken to the girl and left. He said he had anticipated running across an older woman. Allen immediately starts blaming the decoy, arguing that she was the one who brought up sex talk first. Chris rejects his excuse.

Allen maintained he "got sucked in almost" because he didn't want to come but was tempted by the girl. He added that the girl was angry with him and promised to visit her since she appeared "really cool." Allen said it would be the last time he talked to anyone online without knowing who they were. When Chris asked what should happen to him, Allen said he wanted to "run home with [his] tail between [his] legs" and explained that he tried to apologize but couldn't because it was "cyber." After discovering he was part of a Dateline investigation, Allen threatens to shove the camera down the cameraman’s throat. Then he corrects Chris, saying he "has it all wrong," adding that his argument was well made. After saying hi to the cameramen, Allen says, "Cut." Chris informs Allen that he has the option of leaving and will not be kept there. Allen leaves the house and is arrested by the police.

Allen was originally charged with three felonies: attempted harmful matter sent to seduce a child, attempted oral copulation with a minor under fourteen years of age or by force or fear, and attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a child under fourteen years of age. His bail was set at $50,000. He ended up pleading guilty to attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a child under fourteen years of age on June 24, 2006 and was sentenced to three years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender.

She also shared a picture of a younger Dan seen here. She also answered various other questions, including confirmation that the way he behaved around minors had always been a cause for concern.

In the televised episode containing Dan Allen's interview and arrest, he can be seen sitting near Jean Pierre Wehry in the temporary detention area at the sting house.