fox_chat_host: It is quite an honor to have tonight's guest here.

john_walsh_live: I appreciate that, glad to be here!

john_walsh_live: I'm John Walsh from AMW and we're filming this week's AMW from Las Angeles.
It's a special on cyber-crime, and it's a special look at cybercriminals and cybercrime.
I've been going up in DEA helicopters to film, and I was supposed to be picked up by a helicopter 45 minutes ago, and it was late, so I apologize. I just got off the chopper and I'm in a car now...

heather_43964: Mr. Walsh, how many years have you hosted the show?

john_walsh_live: This is our 12th year.
We were FOX's original hit in February of 1988.
We are the original FOX show still on the air, we outlasted all of them for 12 years. It's been a very rewarding and fascinating experience.

ramh4o: John how do you think America Most Wanted has progressed over the years?

john_walsh_live: It certainly has changed in look. We now do twice as many fugitives. We used to do longer, more complicated stories.
Now we do breaking news, 3 or 4 recreations a show, all points bulletins, where we put a guy on for only 30 seconds, and safety tips.
So the show has evolved and has a very different look than it had 12 years ago.
Plus I used to have black hair - now it's gray!
LOL!

cool_m5: WHAT IS THE REASON YOU ARE DOING THIS SHOW?

john_walsh_live: I think a lot of people know my motivation my six year old son, Adam, was kidnapped and found murdered back in 1981.
I was working on changing legislation, testifying before Congress and state to state. And I worked very hard on a bill called the Missing Children Act, forcing the FBI to get involved in cases of abductions of children.
And NBC did a big movie on us called ADAM, the biggest TV movie of its time, it was ground breaking, they aired missing children at the end of the show.
They found 65 children after the three airings, and that gave us the concept for how effective a show like America's Most Wanted could become.

fox_chat_host: Mr. Walsh is on a cell phone that is cutting out....
heading for a land line now...
Hang in there, he'll be back momentarily to continue to answer all of our questions!
He's back

john_walsh_live: I love it. I've often said during the week that it's the worst job on television because I see the worst of American society: child molesters, serial killers, cop killers, the worst of the worst.
But on Saturday night we catch the worst of the worst. The American public is our partner, they have kept the show on the air, they've caught 608 fugitives. And when we catch a child molester or a brutal murder on a Saturday night, it's the best job on TV, and I love it.

fox_chat_host: Phone trouble again...
2 minutes till he's on a land line...
Apologies for the interruption...
but this is a man of action and adventure, it's just part of the deal.
Keep sending in your questions...
there are some great ones coming through!
He's back again...

deb_k_hansen: how do you get your cases? is it by family or law enforcement?

john_walsh_live: WE get our cases from everywhere. We turn down about 100 cases a week. Law enforcement submits lots of cases, that's Federal and State and local agencies. We get a tremendous amount of request on the internet at www.amw.com. And I get tons of mail from victims all over the country asking us to do their cases.

lilslugger99: What case do you think you have ever broadcast was the funniest or stupid

john_walsh_live: We've done some stupid criminals that have done some really stupid mistakes and got caught because of them.
We had a very bizarre one that almost looked like it was written in the tabloids.
Two lesbian lovers were in a poolhall playing pool against a dwarf pool player who w as a pool hustler and played on a stool.
Now he won some money from these ladies, and they said, look, we'd like to get to get together tonight and maybe get some of our money back and have some kinky sex, maybe with you.
They then lured him under a bridge, beat him to death with rocks, and left him on the shore propped up with his pants down.
Very bizarre, humiliating case, but we caught them.
Both of them went to two separate prisons for murder.
And the actual murderer started manipulating and talking to and having an affair with a female lesbian guard at the women's prison.
The female guard sewed a uniform for the murderer and sprung her out of prison.
The guard had all kinds of weapons and they went around the country on a crime spree. Kind of like Bonnie and Bonnie. And then we caught both of them.

y2krazy_4u: Do you think america would have more crimes if you didnt have the show?

john_walsh_live: I think it's created a lot of awareness.
Three weeks ago I got a great award from the FBI. In the fifty year history of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, America's Most Wanted has taken 14 guys off that list in the last 12 years.
So Louis Freeh, the director of the FBI and a good friend of mine, a dad with six young sons, said, John, you've also gotten 608 fugitives and made the streets a lot safer place.

cool_m5: HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING THAT YOU ARE MAKING AMERICA MORE SAFE?

john_walsh_live: I think a lot of people that watch AMW know I'm the father of a murdered child, but a lot don't.
A lot of people are too young to really remember that. But I think they feel the show is making a difference and they are very appreciative.
For me it is a way to work thru the pain and heartache.
Whether they know I'm a crime victim or not, I think they want to see these guys off the streets.

mr_monster_2: Do you think that greater gun control would make our country safer?

john_walsh_live: Absolutely.
I own guns. I hunt. I have a police carry permit, meaning I can carry a concealed weapon. I'm an excellent skeet shooter. But I totally believe in gun control.
I believe that no teenagers need automatic weapons, automatic weapons are for cops, SWAT teams, and people in the army.
In Canada and in Japan you can own a gun. The gun laws are very strict.
Last year Japan, a country of about 110 million people, had only 100 homicides by gun. Canada, our northern neighbor, with a lot of different nationalities and a melting pot type culture, had a bout 700 homicides.
In America, where there are more guns than people, an estimated 270 million guns, there were 20,000 homicides.
So you can tell I'm a great believer in gun control. Those kids in Columbine should never ever have been able to get those weapons.

Willowbay98: Whats your opinion on the Jon Bennet Ramsey case?

john_walsh_live: Very tough case. Terrible police work from the beginning, they admit it. I don't know if anybody will ever be brought to justice because the crime scene was so contaminated.
I believe a good police investigation investigates the parents and the possibility of a stranger, and doesn't focus on just one or the other.
And wouldn't it be awful if the Ramsey's had nothing to do with it.
But the police has had it for three years and the DA has had it for three yearse.
It's time to bring somebody else in and take a fresh look at a very tough case.

snare70: I'm from Canada and our laws are for the crimanals only minimum sentences etc. do you think death penalty is a deterent?

john_walsh_live: I do know that Arthur Sharcross in New York State killed a seven year old boy, ate part of his heart, killed a 13 year girl and ate part of her, and served only 15 years in prison in NY State because NY State did not have the death penalty.
Without anybody knowing, he was paroled to the small town of Rochester, New York.
He killed 11 women in two years while he was on parole.
If NY State had executed Arthur Sharcross, those 11 women would still be alive.

licalotofpus2: heard you on the dwyer & michels show here in iowa, you still plan on redoing the story of the missing girl from Davenport, Ia?

john_walsh_live: I've talked to my executive producer and we're trying to get information together, and we're just praying that there might be something new so we could put a different twist on that case.

guyn_clemson_sc: Do you think they will ever catch eric rudolph?

john_walsh_live: He is the abortion clinic bomber that they have also now charged with doing the Olympic Park bombing.
He's a real coward. He killed an off duty policeman who was guarding an abortion clinic who happened to be against abortion.
He maimed and permanently scarred a nurse working at a clinic, she lost her eye and is partially paralyzed.
In my mind, he's a real coward.
No matter what your opinions are, pro-life or pro-abortion, the only way to change things I've learned through the years is thru the system.
So I hope Eric Rudolph is caught, I almost caught him in North Carolina but I think he's out of those woods and has left N. Carolina. I'm getting ready to profile himagain.

num1talker: John i just watched your show and i have one question about the story with the girl almost getting killed where was the parent in that house i dont remember anything being said about a mother the father was on vacvation i was just wondering about a possible mother ???

john_walsh_live: I believe that the parent - I'm not exactly sure - but I believe the parent wasn't there at that time for some reason, but I'm not quite sure.

foxyinangola: What do you think of the internet what should parents do to protect there kids?

john_walsh_live: I think there are a lot of programs out there - one called Computer Cop - which can let you know if your children, no matter how sophisticated they are, if they are in chat rooms, or porn rooms, dangerous things like that.
I really think parents should really monitor.
What their kids are doing on the internet.
We've caught lots of pedaphiles on the internet.

sot_radioacti: Why are you doing all these episodes on cybercrime?

john_walsh_live: It's getting very dangerous.
As Louis Freeh said, some low life hackers shut down five 911 functions in Northern Florida.
And if you can imagine, that there is a burgler in your house, or someone has been hurt in an accident, or your child is floating in a pool somewhere, you want to be able to get ahold of 911. They've also shut down the FBI website, and they've transferred millions of dollars.
And the guy who killed 200 Americans in the embassy bombing is using the interent. There is a lot of crime on the internet.

averydmann: Mr. Walsh, where do the threats from cybercrime come from? Within America or abroad?

john_walsh_live: From everywhere.
We used to think that in America we were invincible and that terrorism was never going to hit us.
Then the World Trade Center, the Olympic Park and the Oklahoma bombing all brought home that terrorism can be here too.

Sundance_NC: I like to chat on-line. How dangerous is that?

john_walsh_live: It's not dangerous if you don't give out too much information, like your address, phone number or social security number.
You should be suspect about people asking for your credit cards over the phone when you aren't buying anything.
You have to be street smart.

heydle2002: Mr. Walsh what is your thought about hackers, and the danger they pose to our world?

sadballs: Do you think it is possible for Hackers to take over major buildings?

john_walsh_live: Easily. They can absolutely paralyze all kinds of security systems and elevators, everything run by computers in a building.

narcoticsdealer: How can the average internet user fight internet crime?

john_walsh_live: I think they can be street smart and very suspect of people that are obviously trying to exploit them. Don't be naive.
Of course the best way, let your politicians, particularly on the Federal level, know that you want to see criminals prosecuted that commit crimes on the internet.
It's not about free speech, it's about criminal behavior.

butlerbl10: John, do you think that inmates in jail, who have access to the internet, will be brazen eniugh to commit cyber crime.

john_walsh_live: I hope not. I hope that there is a way that maybe with some new legislation that they can try to regulate that somehow.
We caught a group of pedaphiles operating out of a pay phone in a Northern Florida prison.

dizzy_matty: Did you ever think the should would catch so many criminals

john_walsh_live: No I'm still amazed. A lot of people said wouldn't it be amazing if you caught one - and 608 is still amazing to me and to be on the air for 12 years.

foxi_angel20: It's kinda scary 2 think that there r people out there on the internet that now how to track u down to where u live just by the smallest piece of info. What kind of personal stuff shouldn't you give out that nobody really knows about???

john_walsh_live: There is a lot of legislation in the works right now making it very difficult for banks, and credit card companies to get all your personal information, I would love to see those privacy laws passed.
So I say to people, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it, be very suspect when people ask for information over the internet.

SOCENVAGUY: Mr. Walsh. As a member of a search and rescue team, what can we do to get law enforcement to get us involved earlier in missing person / child searches?

john_walsh_live: The justice dept. has now come out with a new survey saying that there were about 4,600 stranger abductions last year.
Where kids were in the gravest danger.
And we used to say the first 24 hours are crucial. Now we are saying the first 12 hours are crucial.
And they are saying that law enforcement and the media should get involved in cases as soon as possible.

angryfuture: Is it ok to hack games?

john_walsh_live: I'm not that familiar with hacking games.
Those kids that bought those games with their hard earned money and then they get ruined by hackers, I think the hackers would get pretty PO'd if someone did that to their CDs.

barkingdogsdallas: www.barkingdogs.org may not be online when you chat but hope you can point out how grassroot efforts can do important things.

john_walsh_live: Absolutely, I'm the greatest believer in the grass roots movement in America.
AMW is not the greatest moneymaker for FOX and can't be syndicated, but the American public thinks it's an important part of television and they are the ones that have kept it on.
And I also believe that most elected politiicans, especially on the Federal level, members of Congress and the Senate, only respond to constituent emails and phone calls.
They want to get re-elected.
So when somebody calls or emails and is passionate about getting a piece of legislation passed, that Congressmen or Senator will respond, because that's the voice of their constituent.
So most issues involving victims' rights and children's rights, have no big politcal action committees, or high paid lobbyists.
It's up to the individual constituents.

foxyrob_nz: Do you believe in the adage "an eye for an eye..."?

john_walsh_live: I'm not really that much a seeker of justice that I believe in an eye for an eye, but I do believe that the person that made the free will choice to do the crime, should be prepared to do the time.

glencoop_31715: John, do you sometimes get discouraged with all the crime we have in the United States? Or does that just make you work harder?

john_walsh_live: I do get discouraged, because I think we are a very educated, sophisticated and wealthy country, and I don't know why we put up with this level of violence.
But I am encouraged by all the heroic victims I meet, and all the caring members of law enforcement.
And lots of people who work in the social services background.
I think they are doing God's work, and they inspire me.

CelestialSilverwolf: John, hello you do a wonderful job with your show. Congratulations on work so well done. My husband even recognized the man from Rockford Illinois. What were the results of the death penalty debate from last week?

john_walsh_live: Thank you for your comments.
WE did a guy named James Hampton last week.
He's the first AMW fugitive that we caught that has been put to death. He was on death row for eight years.
He was convicted of brutally torturing and murdering three women, and confessed to murdering six more.
He took women randomly, drove them around at night, and made them call their relatives and friends.
And beg for money. He said he was never going to work for a minimum wage, and that was his job - to kidnap women for ransom and then beat them to death.
We followed him right up until minutes before his execution. We even asked him if he would kill a child for money.
He said he'd have no problem, he'd ask for $60,000. How disgusting is that.
I can't believe a guy who is just about to meet his maker said he never lost a moment's sleep. Over killing all those women.
Do you know what? I'd say he's right where he belongs - six feet under.

dizzy_matty: Does this job ever scare you?

john_walsh_live: I get lots of threats, I've had a lot of people who want to kill me, who think that way they'll get their 15 minutes of fame.
But the FBI has killed two people who threatened me continuously.
But I believe it comes with the turf. You have to put up with it. I believe you have to fight back.

masterme78: God bless you John,I have watched your show for years,but how do you go on in life do the criminal ever look to get you and do you feel you have to watch your back?

john_walsh_live: I know I have to watch my back.
I never dreamed of being a man hunter, but I've gotten pretty good at it with the help of the American public. And I know somebody has to hunt these guys down before they hurt somebody else.

heydle2002: What keeps you wanting to do your job week in and out?

john_walsh_live: There is great, great personal satisfaction in my job. When we get closure and justice for victims that have nowhere else to go, there is a tremendous degree of satisfaction. You actually feel like you have accomplished something.

tonya_w19: I would like to thank you for everything you are and have done, what have you learned through all of this?

john_walsh_live: I've learned that there are some incredibly selfish and evil people out there who don't care who they hurt. But I believe you have to fight back. And you have to take life one day at a time.

northernsweetpea13: Can you or have you forgiven the man who murdered your son?

john_walsh_live: Finally, after 16 years they opened the sealed Hollywood police files about Adam, and like the rest of the country I found out that the Hollywood police had totally botched the case.
And the main suspect, a serial killer and pedephile, Otis Toole, should have been indicted back in 1984 and executed for Adam's murder.
But he did die on death row two years ago, a horrible death of AIDS and cerrosis of the liver, before they could execute him.
He allegedly confessed to Adam's murder on his deathbed.
I do believe that if you don't pay for your crimes and transgressions in this life, you will in the next.

woodenshoes5: as a mother of 3 children, I just want to say thanks for all the good work you have done out of a tragdy, God bless.

john_walsh_live: Thank you so much for your kind words.
I always tell women, the odds for a man becoming a crime victim goes down after age 25.

robert3018: do you think the million mom march is a good thing?

john_walsh_live: I think it's a great thing.
I hope those guys in Washington realize that people want to see reasonable gun control.
And the stupid thing the NRA says, it's not not the guns that kill it's the criminals - tell that to the family to the six year old girl, when that six year old boy brought an illegal gun to kindergarten and killed that beautiful little girl.
Guess what? He wasn't a criminal. It was a gun that killed that little girl.
I'm wishing the Million Moms a lot of luck.

ladyleo6464: John I watch americas most wanted every saturday night, and I gave a tip on james vincent sullivan, as i see you did not catch him yet, I just wanted to say that you are doing a great job and have caught alot of people, and relieved alot of grieving parents, do you plan to be on for many years to come?

john_walsh_live: Well I know one thing, the show will be on as long as the ratings are good, because it's a business, and that people support it. And I'll do it as long as they want me.

babyvelvetqueen: i just wanted to tell mr walsh that i think he is doing an excellent job with americas most wanted and i think he is a very strong man to live with the pain that has occurred in his life. thanks.

john_walsh_live: Thank you so much for your kind words. And I always say the same thing: America's Most Wanted would not be on the air, and wouldn't have caught all these criminals... we've gotten back 23 stranger-abducted children, if it weren't for the American public. On behalf of victims everywhere, I say God Bless Them and thank them for their concern.

fox_chat_host: John, thank you so much for being here...
it has been quite an honor.

john_walsh_live: Sorry to make it difficult, my life is so hectic, but we got it done I think. Thanks for putting up with me!

fox_chat_host: Check out Fox.com on Monday for the transcript of tonight's chat!
Thanks, everybody, for being here!

heather_43964: I just want to say that I love what your doing, and I commend you for all of your hard work!! Good Job?

spds1986: john u r a good host i wish everyone was like u

Laydon_Butler: UR SHOW IS GREAT THANKS 4 GETTING THE BAD GUYS

lindas_on_line: Just wanted to say that I think the work John has done is absolutely amazing! Keep up the great work!

spds1986: Good show tonight john