Darrel Rockewell

Summary

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Have A Seat with Chris Hansen – Episode: Daryl Rockwell

Date: July 6, 2026
Host: Chris Hansen

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Episode Overview

In this gut-wrenching installment of Have A Seat with Chris Hansen, Chris revisits the July 2025 sting operation in Marion County, Florida, that led to the arrest of 58-year-old Daryl Rockwell. The episode delves deep into the troubling psychology and actions of a terminally ill man who, when faced with only months to live, sought to exploit a minor rather than make amends with his loved ones. With details straight from chat transcripts, law enforcement, and direct interview exchanges, this episode captures the relentless grimness of predator investigations while wrestling with questions of empathy and justice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Setup: Daryl's Story and the Sting Operation

• Context: Daryl Rockwell, terminally ill with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (given 3-6 months to live), surfaces in a predator sting after seeking drugs and sex online.
• Behavior: Despite the decay of his health, Daryl’s actions escalate: not only does he solicit a minor, but upon law enforcement’s intervention, he attempts a dramatic escape—driving his car into a water-filled ditch and fleeing on foot.
• Chris’s Approach: Balances compassion for Daryl's health crisis with an uncompromising need for accountability and truth.

Notable Quote:

“When I face somebody in that situation, even though they've committed a horrifying crime...I try to show some compassion, some understanding...maybe I'll understand it. Still don't think I ever will. But I try.”
– Chris Hansen (02:01)

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2. Inside the Chat: Grooming and Minimization

• Explicit Exchanges: Daryl ignores repeated clarifications of the decoy’s age—13 turning 14—and pushes for a meeting, referencing both drugs (“party favors,” “rock cocaine”) and sex.
• Decoy Tactics: The decoy repeatedly gives Daryl “outs,” stressing discomfort and confirming her age, but Daryl presses on.
• Law Enforcement Sting: The meeting point is set at a gas station, leading to a SWAT intervention and Daryl’s subsequent car chase and crash.

Notable Quotes:

“This whole younger thing just doesn’t even concern him. He just wants what he wants, and he wants it now.”
– Chris Hansen (04:17)
“At this point, the detective posing as the girl gives Daryl an out. He could have walked away...but no.”
– Chris Hansen (06:40)

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3. The Arrest: Flight and Denial

• The Chase: Daryl tries to escape, submerges his car in a retention pond, and is quickly apprehended after a brief foot chase (09:48).
• Initial Responses: Complains of pain, admits to health crisis, and is initially allowed some leeway due to medical suffering.

Notable Moment:

“The windshield wiper is still going on his car in the pond.”
– Chris Hansen (09:48)

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4. The Interrogation: Deflection, Denial, and the Truth

• Minimizing Actions: Daryl attempts to downplay his intent, emphasizes his history with adult sex workers, and claims he believed the decoy was older.
• Direct Contradictions: Despite being reminded of explicit age disclosures, Daryl insists he wouldn't have sex with a minor and tries to excuse his actions as mere curiosity.
• Refusal of Responsibility: Tries to assert that, “nothing’s illegal until something happens,” failing to grasp the illegality of the chat and negotiations themselves.

Notable Quotes:

“Like I met every other prostitute.”
– Daryl Rockwell (16:10)
“You know, they do television shows on this.”
– Chris Hansen (23:19)
“I'm not a predator. That's one thing I'm not.”
– Daryl Rockwell (23:56)

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5. Confrontation: Revealing Chris Hansen’s Identity

• Revelation: Daryl doesn’t recognize Chris Hansen or the significance of his presence, even after being told about “To Catch a Predator.”
• Pushback: Upon realizing the interview’s intent and that he’s being recorded, Daryl objects, insists on seeing an officer, and attempts to end the conversation multiple times.

Notable Moment:

“Now suddenly, the man...who wrote an apology letter to someone he thought was a 13 year old girl...asked her to pray for him because he has cancer. Can you imagine that?”
– Chris Hansen (27:10)

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6. Closing the Net: Pattern of Offenses & Aftermath

• TruthFinder Findings: Daryl’s past is riddled with criminal activity—larceny, burglary, parole violations, and more, suggesting a life pattern of disregard for the law.
• Final Outcome: Daryl died before facing trial, one of many arrested in the sting.

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Listener Q&A [35:06]

Ella from England:

• “Do you ever try and find out where these children are that predators claim to have had relationships with, and is there any help or follow up for them?”

Chris’s Response:

• Whenever possible, law enforcement pursues such claims. Real-world examples exist where further victims were identified and justice sought (Brian R. Flat case, Montgomery County, OH).
• It’s challenging without specific names, but forensics and cooperation sometimes allow for further investigation and support.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro and Daryl’s Profile – 00:30–02:30
• Chat Transcripts and Sting Details – 02:30–10:00
• Flight and Arrest – 09:45–13:00
• Daryl’s Interrogation & Deflection – 13:16–25:00
• Hansen Reveals Identity, Daryl Resists – 26:30–31:20
• TruthFinder & Criminal Background – 32:00–34:23
• Listener Q&A (Ella from England) – 35:06–38:50

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “So they, they've only given you three to six months to live?”
  – Chris Hansen (14:35)
• “I mean, I wasn't gonna have sex with a 13 and 14 year old. There ain't no way.”
  – Daryl Rockwell (16:50)
• “It sounds like this excited you, otherwise why would you continue?”
  – Chris Hansen (19:15)
• “Nothing’s illegal until it happens...I didn’t know it was illegal to go meet somebody.”
  – Daryl Rockwell (20:19)
• “That's illegal. I had no idea either. I had no idea.”
  – Daryl Rockwell (23:13)
• “You negotiate online with a child for sex. You drove to meet the child. Yes, you did. And then you drove the car into a pond.”
  – Chris Hansen (27:10)
• “Will you tell me what happened then, Daryl?” – “Can I see an officer, please?”
  – Chris Hansen & Daryl Rockwell (28:12–28:39)
• “Of all those sexual encounters, have any of them been with underage?” – “No.”
  – Chris Hansen & Daryl Rockwell (18:48)

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Tone and Language

• Chris Hansen: Direct, relentless, and occasionally empathetic—insistent on truth and accountability, yet still contemplative about the complexity of confronting desperately ill offenders.
• Daryl Rockwell: Evasive, defensive, attempts legalistic rationalizations, and oscillates between complaint, minimization, and outright denial.

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Summary

Chris Hansen’s episode with Daryl Rockwell is a harrowing exposition of how some predators rationalize the exploitation of minors, even at the end of life. Hansen’s unwavering approach exposes not just the crime but the pathology behind it, sparing no detail in the pursuit of justice and public safety. For listeners, the episode offers not just the facts of the case but a raw confrontation with the motivations, denials, and harsh consequences of predatory behavior.

Transcript

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[Chris Hansen]

I've confronted hundreds of men over two decades, men online, looking for children to sexually assault Cody. I'm Chris Hansen. I know who you are. I tried to get into their heads and understand why, but you have it on your phone.

[Commercial Voice]

That's true.

[Chris Hansen]

And ultimately make sure they face justice. Can I just give you some money? I need. I don't want money. I want the truth. These are are the predators I've caught. I'm Chris Hansen. What would you do if doctors told you you had a very serious disease, a fatal disease, A disease that would only allow you to live for three to six months? What would you do with those three to six months? One would think you'd get your affairs in order. Say goodbye to all your loved ones. Make amends with anyone who you may have wronged or been cross with. Tell your children how much you care for them. Impart any last lessons on your children, your loved ones. Well, those are all good things to do. But none of them is what 58 year old Daryl Rockwell did when he had three to six months to live. And he spent a precious day of it conducting himself a manner that resulted in him surfacing in our sting operation in July of 2025 in Marion County, Florida. He not only surfaced in our investigation, but he sank his car. I'll explain that in just a moment. Dear old told me. And ultimately it turned out to be true that he had cancer. Lymphoma, Non Hodgkin's. It had spread into his spleen and lungs. Now, you'll hear from Gerald in just a minute here. And when I face somebody in that situation, even though they've committed a horrifying crime, as Gerald did, I try to show some compassion, some understanding. Maybe that horrible situation had some impact, although not justifiable, in the actions of this individual, the predatory actions. Maybe. Maybe I'll understand it. Still don't doubt I ever will. But I try. Daryl got online one Afternoon. He was looking for sex. He likes to do drugs. Or he did cocaine by his own admission. And he was online chatting away on different sites. Well, he came across someone who told him she was 13, about to be 14, had only gotten online a few times before for sex. She didn't want to get into any complicated issues, no trouble. Just wanted to, you know, have a sexual experience and make some money. Daryl didn't seem very concerned about the age. And I'll take you inside the chat in a second here. Andy showed up. There was talk of what kind of sex, how much the sex would cost, where they were going to meet. And there was also in the chat the detectives found later because they got Gerald's phone with someone else who was listed as a drug dealer in his directory. Taco venal sex. Talk of getting some crack. It was a conversation with his mom saying he wouldn't be home for dinner. And then the discussion that we're here to talk about today, the conversation goes something like this. Hey, says Daryl. Decoy posing as the 13 year old says, hey, what's up today? Says Daryl. I see you smoke. I have party favors if interested. Party favors, as you may know, refer to drugs. I've only smoked a couple times, to be honest. New to all this rock, he says, meaning rock cocaine. I could stop by, says Gerald, and see if you're interested. Where are you located? The detective posing as the girl says, I'm younger, so I haven't done a lot coke. Are you free now? This whole younger thing just doesn't even concern him. He just wants what he wants and he wants it now. I can stop by and see you. Cocaine? She asks. Would rather talk in person, says Gerald. Now at this point, the decoy again confirms the age as being 13. How old are you? 57. White man per meaning perfect, says the decoy. I'm mature for my age. I'm not like a baby or anything. Again, none of this seems to concern Daryl. He just wants the address. She said, dude, I'm about to be 14. I got to be careful. I got to know I can trust you. Not going to get caught up in anything later. She says, my mom's at work. Daryl says, send me the address, okay? If not, just tell me Again, no concern about the age. But I don't know if I'm comfortable, she says, with another girl. I'm 13, dude. So he has raised the specter of involving another girl. I feel weird giving my house address. I don't know what we're going to do. Again, about to be 14. That's what I said. The vibe's off. Let's just not now. At this point, the detective posing as the girl gives Daryl an out. He could have walked away from it right then, said, no, this is wrong. 13, 14, not gonna do it. And he would not have gotten into trouble, would not have been arrested, but no. What does Daryl say? You're not experienced, are you? Send me a picture. Later in the same text thread, the defendant Daryl, begins asking about sexual activities and offering money for sex. The decoy says, move on. I don't need you. I'm safe not meeting with you if you're not honest. I'm honest, says Gerald. How much for head? How much for head? He wants to know how cheaply he can get oral sex. The decoy posing as the girl says, just head. Yes. The last guy gave me 50, so I don't even know. Just worried about getting Prague. Where can I meet you? 50 is good. Yes. Question mark. Question mark. So then a discussion begins about where to meet. They decided a local gas station would be good. And eventually Daryl tells the 13 year old, or who he thinks is a 13 year old, that he is at the light and about to turn into the location right now. And at this moment, the Marion County Sheriff's Office Special Weapons and Tactics Team SWAT sees the vehicle and hits the lights. Take a look. The address is given and Daryl is spotted leaving the gas station. Detectives close behind rammed our vehicles Maryland taken off. Marion County Sheriff's deputies are chasing now it and Daryl doesn't want to answer their questions or be held accountable for his deeds. Now there's no way he couldn't have known it's time to pull over. But he keeps going. Watch out. Get your camera down. Unbelievably, Daryl drives his car into a ditch filled with water, a retention pond. But Daryl's not done yet.

[Daryl Rockwell]

The car

[Chris Hansen]

is up to its windows in the pod. Daryl gets out of the car and takes off on foot. He's running. Luckily he doesn't get very far before he trips and is swiftly taken into custody. Pull your knees to your chest. Sit up. The windshield wiper is still going on his car in the pond. More about this predator I've caught in a moment. Did you know three out of four homes in the US have toxic chemicals in their tap water? Even though contaminated water looks clear, it could put you at risk for devastating health concerns including fatigue, hormone disruption and cognitive decline, even cancer. Surprisingly, standard fridge and pitcher filters do little to remove most contaminants. And bottled water well contains microplastics. So what's the solution? I've known about Aqua True for more than a year now and I really like it when an advertiser comes to us here at Predators. I've caught about a product I'm already using. I already know it works. My son turned me onto this more than a year ago. I have it right here. Aqua Tru is the countertop water purifier tested and certified to remove 84 contaminants including chlorine, lead, forever chemicals and microplastics. Its patented four stage reverse osmosis system goes way beyond ordinary filters for pure, healthy water you can trust no plumbing, no installation. Aqua Chew has been featured in Business Insider, Popular Science and named Best Countertop Water Filter by good housekeeping. Join 99% of customers who say their drinking water is cleaner, safer and healthier. I know mine is and it's because of aquatru. Head to aquatru.com now and get 20% off your purifier using promo code Hansen H A N S E N Aqua True even comes with a 30 day best tasting water guarantee or your money back. Take the guesswork out of pure great tasting water with this exclusive podcast only offer [e-mail] a q u a t r u.com using promo code Hansen H A N S E N I'll be watching. It's finally here. Oh my God.

[Commercial Narrator]

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[Chris Hansen]

Daryl is taken into custody already complaining about not feeling well. Daryl is taken back to the sheriff's office for questioning and he's given the opportunity to write an apology letter to his alleged victim, which he does. He says he's sorry. Let's see how sorry he Is when it's time for me to ask Daryl some questions. Hey, man, how you doing? Not too well. What's happening?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I got severe pain in my abdomen.

[Chris Hansen]

Daryl says he's got severe pain in his abdomen. Now I'm gonna go easy at first on Daryl. I know he's hurting. I know he's already told detectives he's got cancer. So let's start off slowly here. And what causes that, Daryl?

[Daryl Rockwell]

My cancer.

[Chris Hansen]

What kind of cancer do you have?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I got two different non Hodgkin's lymphoma.

[Chris Hansen]

Right.

[Daryl Rockwell]

And my spleen is covered with cancer.

[Chris Hansen]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[Daryl Rockwell]

And it's already traveled and it spread it to my right lung. And they only gave me three to six months to live, but right now I'm in so much pain right now it's not even.

[Chris Hansen]

So they, they've only given you three to six months to live?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yes.

[Chris Hansen]

I'm sorry, buddy. Nah, that's tough news. But now my concern for Daryl's health must transition into my concern for the safety of a would be 13 year old girl. And what Gerald wanted to do to the child, what he would have done had there been a real child and had this not been a sting. I need to talk to you a little bit about what happened today. And I know you're in pain and they're going to take you and help you deal with that. But tell me about this chat you had with this person.

[Daryl Rockwell]

I just. Her advertisement said that she was 19 years old.

[Chris Hansen]

Right.

[Daryl Rockwell]

And she said that she was 14. Then she said she was 13 and. And I was like, whatever, let's just meet and see where it goes from there.

[Chris Hansen]

Got it. So she did tell you she was 13?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yeah, I said, well, I mean, towards the end of the conversation,

[Chris Hansen]

while he's not minimizing the pain he's currently experiencing, he does minimize his actions for the day. Yeah, at one point she said 13, 14. I was just going to check it out. If it was really a child, I wouldn't have done anything. I don't buy that, Daryl. And why were you going to meet her, Daryl? What was the purpose of the meeting?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Like I've met every other prostitute.

[Chris Hansen]

Wait, what? Like I met every other prostitute. Daryl apparently is quite prolific when it comes to buying sex online. And as long as that's involving consenting adults, generally it's not a concern of ours. But why today? Why decide to meet a 13 year old girl today? All horned up, Daryl. Three to six months to live, nothing to lose. Didn't want to have Mom's meatloaf. Had some extra cocaine. What was it, Daryl? Tell me now.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yeah, I mean, I wasn't gonna have sex with a 13 and 14 year old. There ain't no way.

[Chris Hansen]

When you showed up after talking about giving her $50 for oral sex, or BJ, as you put it?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I didn't say BJ. I said head.

[Chris Hansen]

Head, sure. Okay. Thanks for correcting me. So you told a girl who told you she was 13 that you wanted to give her $50 for head?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I didn't say I wanted to give her $50 for head. She told me that the last person that she gave head to, the guy gave her $50.

[Chris Hansen]

Got it. Now, for someone who was minimizing a detail, like the target being 13 years old, he wants to get into a lot of details about everything else. Correcting me on my term that I thought he used for oral sex, being more specific and precise about his actual communication. He remembers all that, but he's a little foggy on the age. It seems a little bit too convenient, doesn't it? So you were cool with that? Giving her $50 for.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Well, that's what I said. I didn't even have $50, though.

[Chris Hansen]

You didn't have. So what was your plan if you didn't have $50? You're going to bring her drugs?

[Daryl Rockwell]

No, the very first thing is, I told her in the. I told her in the text message that we'd meet first.

[Ella (Listener from England)]

Right.

[Daryl Rockwell]

And meet each other first. If I cheat wings. 13, 14 years old, she took off walking because that wasn't. I'm not a pedophile.

[Chris Hansen]

I'm not a pedophile. He says, well, not buying that either.

[Ella (Listener from England)]

Right.

[Chris Hansen]

Have you met other women online for sex?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yes.

[Chris Hansen]

How many times?

[Daryl Rockwell]

A bunch.

[Chris Hansen]

A bunch?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

And of all those sexual encounters, have any of them been with underage?

[Daryl Rockwell]

No.

[Commercial Voice]

Never.

[Chris Hansen]

Before, out of what he calls a bunch of previous liaisons with women for sex, has Daryl ever been involved with somebody who was underage? That's his claim. And you're positive?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Absolutely positive.

[Chris Hansen]

Then why take the risk today, Daryl?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Why?

[Chris Hansen]

Why even go meet somebody who told you she was 13 years old then? Why today, Daryl? Why today? She made it very clear on numerous occasions in the chat that she was 13 years old, about to be 14. The decoy posing as the child gives you an out, says, never mind, you could have left. You could have found someone else who was of age. But it sounds like this excited you, otherwise why would you continue? Well, I was just going to see for real, and if she was really young, I would have let her walk. Well, that doesn't make any sense. And it also doesn't make any sense that if you're doing nothing wrong and you had a logical explanation for it all, why would you take off? Why would you make the sheriff's deputies chase you? Why would you drive your car into a pond and try to take off on foot? Why, Darryl? Why? That's illegal. Just have that chance.

[Daryl Rockwell]

I didn't. I did. I told. I told the officer that was sitting here. I was like. It was under my assumption that nothing's illegal until something happens.

[Commercial Voice]

Right?

[Daryl Rockwell]

You know what I'm saying? Right. And I didn't know it was illegal to go meet somebody.

[Chris Hansen]

Well, the chad is the illegal part. Now Daryl is going to claim he didn't know it was illegal to chat with a 13 year old girl online. Nothing's illegal until it happens. Well, it happened, Daryl. It already happened. If what you've heard shocks you so far, join us. Back in a moment. I've been investigating and pursuing criminals and predators for more than four decades now. But there's a type of predator who's looking to make you a victim. And you may never see it coming. And if you're a homeowner in America, you need to listen to this. The FBI has been warning about a type of real estate fraud on the rise called title theft. And your equity is the target. Here's how it works. Criminals forge your signature on a single document, use a fake notary stamp and file it with the county. And just like that, on record. They own your home using your ownership. They can take out loans against your equity or even sell your property out from under you. And you don't know about it until foreclosure or collection notices show up in the mail. That's why I've partnered with Home Title Lock. So you can protect your equity. And find out today if you're already a victim. Use my promo code Hansen H A N S e [e-mail] and you'll get a free title history report and a free trial of their million dollar triple lock protection. That's 247 monitoring of your title records, urgent alerts to any changes, and if fraud occurs, their US based restoration team will spend up to $1 million to fix it. That's $1 million to fix it. Don't be a victim. Protect your Equity Today. That's hometitleog.com, promo code HANSEN H A N S E N Or use the link below.

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[Chris Hansen]

To negotiate sex with somebody who's underage.

[Daryl Rockwell]

That's illegal. I had no idea either. I had no idea.

[Chris Hansen]

You know, they do television shows on this.

[Daryl Rockwell]

I've never seen one.

[Chris Hansen]

And it's starting to become clear to me that Daryl doesn't know who I am. He thinks maybe that I'm some sort of a person prosecutor or a senior law enforcement official, maybe a magistrate or judge of some sort. And so I start to creep into that notion of who I am. You know, they do TV stories on things like this. He claimed to have not been aware of that. I take down not to catch a predator, any of that stuff. Does that sound familiar to you?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I'm not a predator. That's one thing I'm not.

[Chris Hansen]

It looks like you're a predator. I realize I'm not a predator. How many times have we heard that before? So did you bring drugs with you?

[Ella (Listener from England)]

No.

[Chris Hansen]

Today?

[Daryl Rockwell]

No.

[Chris Hansen]

Oh, and there's something else. As deputies were chasing Daryl, it appeared that he tossed something into the tall grass after he ditched his car in the pond. And while he was trying to get away, he tossed something and they could never find it. But it would make sense that given all the talk about a rock or wanting to try cocaine, that maybe he got lucky and didn't get an extra charge added on because they couldn't find what he tossed in the tall grass. What did you throw into the tall grass after you had your.

[Daryl Rockwell]

I didn't throw nothing.

[Chris Hansen]

You didn't throw anything on the tall grass?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Nothing.

[Chris Hansen]

But you talked about bringing a rock of coke online.

[Daryl Rockwell]

That was from. It was a different conversation before that. If you.

[Chris Hansen]

A different conversation.

[Daryl Rockwell]

But you.

[Chris Hansen]

You told. In this chat that got you in so much trouble today, you talked about bringing a rock of cocaine. Do you use cocaine?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

You do?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Yes.

[Chris Hansen]

Is that for your cancer? I'll get to that in just a minute, Daryl. But there is something I learned just recently that I didn't know while I was interviewing Daryl. Now, he claimed to detectives earlier on that he was with an acquaintance of his, another fella, and this fella was the one who was actually doing the Chatting online. He was trying to hook up our Daryl with an adult prostitute. That was Daryl's original excuse to detectives. But here's what the detectives did. They tracked down this other fellow,

[Ryan Reynolds]

had

[Chris Hansen]

a conversation, and determined that in fact, the other fella had nothing to do with any of this. He described Darryl as kind of a shady fellow and had not seen him in a number of weeks. And now it's time to tell Darryl exactly who I am and why I'm asking him so many nosy questions.

[Daryl Rockwell]

You are?

[Chris Hansen]

I'm Chris Hansen and that's Chris Hanson. I'm a journalist, okay. And I do stories on men accused of trying to exploit children.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Okay. I'm not trying to exploit you.

[Chris Hansen]

Okay? But that's why we're talking to you. You see what I'm saying? So I want to get your side of the story here.

[Daryl Rockwell]

So you have no right to publish this.

[Chris Hansen]

Oh, yeah, I do, actually. And now suddenly, the man who went online looking for sex, the man who led sheriff's deputies on a chase,

[Daryl Rockwell]

who

[Chris Hansen]

crashed his car into a pond, the man who wrote an apology letter to someone he thought was a 13 year old girl saying he was sorry he tried to meet her for sex, asked her to pray for him because he has cancer. Can you imagine that? He asked the girl in the letter to pray for him. Now he is suggesting that I have no ability, no right to put him on camera, to ask him these questions as a journalist. Well, I got news for you, Daryl. Because you have no reasonable expectation for privacy, you negotiated online with a child for sex. You drove to meet the child. Yes, you did. And then you drove the car into a pond. How did your car end up in the pond?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I did not do that at all. What you're saying.

[Chris Hansen]

Well, that's what the transcripts would indicate.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Well, you're reading the transcripts because that's not exactly what. That's not what happened.

[Chris Hansen]

Sure looks that way.

[Daryl Rockwell]

That's not.

[Chris Hansen]

Will you tell me what happened then, Daryl?

[Daryl Rockwell]

We mean, tell you what happened. I know, but I don't, you know,

[Chris Hansen]

I don't need approval so that.

[Daryl Rockwell]

You don't need approval.

[Chris Hansen]

No, I don't. That's right. Now that he's pinned into a corner, now that we've revealed that his story doesn't add up, now he wants his privacy. He doesn't want to be interviewed any longer. So you can tell me what happened or. Or not.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Can I see an officer, please?

[Commercial Voice]

They will.

[Chris Hansen]

And let me ask you one other thing.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Can I see an officer, please?

[Chris Hansen]

Now he's getting agitated. He wants to see an officer or a deputy to get us ejected from the room where we're doing the interview. They don't play down in Maran County. Now, I know that at a certain point, somebody tells you they don't want to talk to you whether they're in custody or not. Time to go. And we're getting very close to this point, but I'm not going to be bossed around by any predator. Not at all. Daryl.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Excuse me. Can I see an officer, please?

[Chris Hansen]

You can have them leave. No, no, sir. You have no right to make anybody leave. You are under arrest.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Okay, I'm under arrest, but it don't mean I have to talk to a journalist.

[Chris Hansen]

No, you can. You can say. You can say. But Daryl.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Okay. And I don't affirm I'm being filmed.

[Chris Hansen]

It doesn't. It doesn't matter what you approve or not. You can tell me you're done with the inter. And I'll respect that at leave, if that's what you want.

[Daryl Rockwell]

There's no interview. I don't understand you sitting there accusing me of something.

[Chris Hansen]

Non accusing you. I'm just asking you for your side of the story. Because you've been arrested, Daryl, after a sexually charged conversation with someone who told you they were 13 years old. Then you drive your car into a pond.

[Daryl Rockwell]

That shouldn't be.

[Chris Hansen]

That shouldn't be. Okay, so you should be able to have a sexually charged conversation with anybody you want, no matter what her age. Daryl doesn't want to be held accountable. That's Daryl's problem that wants to talk about paying her for him. All right, well, we're gonna have to. Whatever. No, I didn't. Well, he's done. Because he doesn't have any answers for me because he knows what he did was criminal. Disagree on that. Why did you drive the car into the. Into the pond? How did that happen?

[Daryl Rockwell]

I don't know. Why are you sitting there harassing me?

[Chris Hansen]

Those are two different things.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Why are you sitting here?

[Chris Hansen]

I want to get your side of the story.

[Daryl Rockwell]

There is no side of any.

[Chris Hansen]

How did you drive the. How did the car end up in the pond?

[Daryl Rockwell]

Interview's done.

[Chris Hansen]

Interview's done says Daryl. You've been in a years.

[Daryl Rockwell]

I didn't even know. You didn't even tell me who you were.

[Chris Hansen]

I just did.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Whether it was an interview or anything,

[Chris Hansen]

I just did.

[Daryl Rockwell]

You walk in like you're a member of the police force.

[Chris Hansen]

I'm not a member of the police.

[Daryl Rockwell]

And you think it's perfectly fine to it is try to coerce somebody into saying something. That's not the case.

[Chris Hansen]

All right, you're turning the tables here. You're the one who's.

[Daryl Rockwell]

No, you're the two. You're the one trying to turn the table. Look at me. Look at me. The interview's over. I'm not done talking. I'm done talking to everybody.

[Chris Hansen]

Is there anything else you want people to know?

[Commercial Voice]

Nothing.

[Chris Hansen]

About your criminal history, about what you tried to do today, about how you tried to run from the sheriff's deputies. Nothing. That's it. All right, Daryl. Well, thanks for talking to me. I appreciate it. Daryl's interview is over. We cannot say the same for the criminal prosecution. He is charged with felonies associated with trying to meet a minor for sexual. He was one of more than 40 men arrested in that sting in July of 2025 in Marion County, Florida. We found out later that one of the reasons Daryl may not have wanted to talk any further was because of his criminal history, which is lengthy. And the reason we know that is because we partnered with truthfinder.com Truth Finder is an important tool for me during these investigations, and it can be an important tool for you. You can find out all kinds of things about a person, somebody you're doing business with, somebody you're going to be associated with, somebody who's spending time with your children, anything, business associates, whatever you want to know. It's right there. Even if you want to know who's calling you, you can backtrack a phone number and figure out who it is. And that's why We've partnered with TruthFinder.com this is your weekly Truth Finder update brought to you by our [e-mail] when we take a look at Darrell's history, there is a lot to digest. Daryl has lived in a lot of different locations and used a lot of aliases, all of which are spelled out right there in Truthfinder. Criminal history? You bet. Traffic violations, larceny, burglary, parole violation, failure to pay child support, petty theft. Two or more prior convictions, grand theft. And it turns out Daryl has spent some time in prison, which is probably why he didn't want to go back. Where is Daryl today? Well, the one thing he may not have been lying about is that he had three to six months to live. Daryl died before he could go to trial or plead to his charges. Truth Finder is an incredibly valuable tool. For me. It can be for you. Go to truthfinder.com predators to find out more. More of our story in a moment.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Chris Hansen]

As you know, I really like to hear from you and this week's question comes from all the way over in England and Ella.

[Ella (Listener from England)]

Hi Chris. I just want to say a couple things before I get to my question. Firstly, well done on the A24 film. I'm very excited to watch that. I can't wait. 2. I've been watching so many YouTube videos from when I was quite young actually, and I've loved them. I used to love the catch predator videos. Obviously. I'm from England, so it's quite interesting to see how the law runs in America. I find it really interesting how the law changes for consent ages between states. I don't know, it's just a crazy thing to me. My question is sometimes the predators say that they've had relationships with other younger people that aren't a result of the sting operation. I was just wondering if you ever try and find out where these children are that they've had relationships with that they might not have been found by the law. And wondering if you give any help to those children or is it like quite complicated because you're not actually investigating it and there's no proof or anything. But yeah, I was just wondering if you give any help to those children that might not be involved in the operation but have been victims of the pedophiles that you catch.

[Chris Hansen]

Thank you, Ella. That's an excellent question. And it is something that happens during our investigations. A few years ago, we were in Montgomery County, Ohio. You may recall that a fella named Brian R. Flat showed up and he was telling our decoy posing as a teenage girl that he had relations with other underage girls in different states. He drove from Illinois to our stenting house near Dayton, Ohio. And in fact, working with law enforcement, we were able to determine that there were real victims and those cases were prosecuted and there was a plea agreement at the federal level. It's not always easy to go back and find victims if you don't have a name. But fortunately, in this case, we were able to figure it out along with law enforcement. But we do learn about things after the actual sting. The takedown episode that drops this week, tomorrow in fact, on my streaming network, True Blue involves a young man who claimed that he showed up at the sting house to sell a guitar pedal. Well, we figured out that that was BS and we understand why he was there. It was to meet an underage girl. But it was just in the last few days, and you'll see this in the episode that Sheriff Chris Swanson and his team were able to finish a forensic examination of his phone. And there was material found on the phone, inappropriate material that is going to add on to his criminal charges. Check out the episode. You can find me all over social media at chrishanson on X. Official Chris Hansen on X Instagram. Have a seat with Chris Hansen on TikTok cameo, should you desire. And as always, my streaming network, True Blue T R u B L U. Watch True Blue.com where episodes of Takedown drop every single Thursday. That's what we call our Predator investigations. And as always, you can find me right here at [e-mail] I'll be watching. And listen.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Ouch. This knee is killing me. But I can't stop training. The marathon is in two weeks. Let's get on ZocDoc and find a doctor to take a look at that for you. Okay, Here's a review. Dr. Craddock really takes his time. No, I don't have time. What about Dr. Charles? His patients say he can help find a quick fix. Annie's in network.

[Commercial Narrator]

Great.

[Daryl Rockwell]

Now we're talking.

Ah.

Book it. Booked. One mile down, 19 to go.

[Commercial Narrator]

Bring it on.

[Commercial Voice]

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