Episode 3 - The Traveler

Episode 3 – The TravelerDescription:Some offenders don’t just hide behind a keyboard — they show up.Sam Smith was already a convicted sex offender when he entered an online chat room and began talking to who he thought were two 14-year-old girls. Over weeks of conversations, he described what he wanted to do, packed a bag with lingerie and condoms, and drove across state lines to meet them. Instead of children, he found law enforcement waiting.In this episode of Chasing Shadows, host Sean Lacy takes listeners inside Smith’s case to show how undercover chat operations work — how investigators build personas, how offenders groom, and why “traveler” cases are among the most dangerous in child exploitation investigations.Parents will learn the warning signs of risky online behavior, the apps where grooming begins, and how to keep conversations at home open, safe, and protective.