Eric J. Greene
Our story today about alleged online predator Troy Deal contains some harsh language, particularly in the direct quotes, allegedly from Deal, that were introduced as evidence in his trial yesterday.
Anticipating questions about the Enquirer's decision to include such language in the story, I'd like to explain. This trial is about proving whether a man intended to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Central to proving that intent, for prosecutors, is explaining what he said and how he said it during online chats to a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Thus, to further a reader's understanding of what exactly was said, we chose to use some direct quotations.
I'm told by courts reporter Trace Christenson that the conversations read in court were quite sordid and included words and phrases that most people would find offensive. We chose not to publish those. Instead, we chose a couple quotes that, while tamer than the rest, demonstrated the defendant's intentions and state of mind.
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