A few names come to mind for me.

Matthew Cogburn: He was a 22 yo virgin when he was caught in the sting. He appeared to be very shy, quiet, and introverted. I think it's possible that this was his first time chatting with a female online who actually kept the conversation going.

Jim Cline: Married, 43yo with 3 children. If I remember correctly, he was having a glass of wine while chatting. I also think he probably didn't have any much experience with chatting online and stuck to the first female who he could have consistent communication with, as he was hot and looking for a sexual outlet outside of his married life.

Jesse Velez: He was in a relationship before the sting, presumably to someone who was of age. It looks like he was looking for something on the side and friends (maybe FWB) and the decoy gave him attention and it seemed like a good match. But at the same time, as gay men, we've always had a local online and offline networks set up to meet each other. So he could have also reached out to guys on gay websites, apps, and local bars.

In the case of these 3 men, I think they were opportunists who found someone online who gave them attention, who they clicked with, and who was consistent. With Cogburn and Cline, they had less opportunities for this as straight men, because in general women have many more choices online, but straight men often have to spend more time sending messages to find a woman they like and can click with. I just have a feeling they would have connected with adult women, but they were opportunists who got attention from the decoy so they went with that. I would say the same for Velez. He simply found someone he clicked with, whether that be another adult man or a minor. I have a feeling he prefers adult men and will probably never make that mistake again.

Tell me what you think.