Podcast Summary: The Dating Detectives (Dear Media)
Episode: "Ken Undercover: The Sunset Strip Stakeout"
Release Date: September 8, 2025
Hosts: Mackenzie Fultz (Professional PI), Hanna Anderson (Comedian)
Special Guest: Ken Childs (Private Investigator, LA)

Overview

In this riveting episode, professional PI Mackenzie and comedian Hanna welcome veteran Los Angeles investigator Ken Childs for a deep dive into “the wild west of dating apps” and the world of high-profile surveillance work. Ken shares insider tales from his encounters with celebrities, lessons learned after 27 years in the business, and practical tips for both aspiring investigators and those seeking safety in modern dating.

The highlight: an in-depth storytelling of Ken’s surveillance case involving a famous "Bunny Ranch" mansion in Holmby Hills, suspected infidelity, and the unique ethical and tactical challenges of following A-listers in Los Angeles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Ken—Contrasts in PI Approaches

[00:38–03:16] The hosts introduce Ken Childs, noting different PI styles (male vs. female, California vs. Florida) and the variety of legal frameworks and personal techniques. They look forward to sharing PI perspectives that break away from TV stereotypes.

"We've both been at this for 20-plus years, which is great... there's just some differences. And we've both been at this for 20-plus years, which is great. But I—we do have some differences, which is really cool." – Mackenzie [01:29]

2. Ken’s A-lister Investigation: The Sunset Strip Stakeout

The Case Assignment

[03:16–04:46] Ken receives a cryptic call from a "manager" for a Beverly Hills ranch associated with a high-profile, "bunny"-related magazine owner.
The client tests Ken’s discretion about discussing past celebrity clients.

"I think it was a little bit of a test that if I would talk about my clients...I think that would have ended the conversation." – Ken [07:30]

Setting the Scene: Holmby Hills and Surveillance Challenges

[04:55–07:14] The assignment: Discreetly determine if the girlfriend of this notable figure is cheating, as the staff suspects she disappears for hours at a time.
Ken describes the ultra-affluent neighborhood and his initial meeting in a “dirty dive diner.”

"I was like, oh, I can't believe what I'm about to sign up for..." – Ken [06:12]

The Stakeout Sequence

[14:37–23:04] Ken positions himself behind 20ft hedges on a narrow, no-parking street, managing to evade mansion security. His luck spikes when a tour bus full of “bunnies” distracts all eyes, and he spots the girlfriend slipping away by car.

"As I'm there, this massive tour bus shows up and then all these bikini-clad girls jump out...and I'm just sitting there like, what the fuck?" – Ken [14:37]

Following the Subject & Uncovering the Truth

Tracks her to a brunch spot in LA ("I'm having brunch with her, I think" – Ken [18:26]), then down Sunset Boulevard, and finally up into the winding hills.
She disappears onto a private drive that is merely marked private to keep outsiders away. Ken gets help from a security guard working a movie shoot, who leads him to the girlfriend’s hidden house.

"I point to the picture, and he lights up, and he's like, come with me." – Ken [22:52]

From a nearby construction site, Ken films through the house’s open glass windows, confirming an intimate rendezvous with a younger man, a “super handsome, trying-to-break-in singer.”

"Here's this, like, young stud, butt naked and she's going down on him and fully enjoying themselves." – Ken [28:19]

Legal & Ethical Considerations

[35:13–36:22] Ken explains filming from a public vantage point is legal (“If I'm where the postal person could be...and I saw what I could see, then why can I not film it?”).
Emphasizes refusing to zoom beyond what a regular bystander would see.

3. Aftermath: Delivering the Evidence & Client Response

[36:53–44:50] Ken meets with the manager, hands over all original footage in a mafia-style meeting in the back of a town car, and deletes every copy in front of the client to avoid risks of a leak.

"Here's your one and only copy. Play it in your device, and the second you're good, we're done...I literally deleted it off my camera. I deleted it off my laptop, like, right there in front of him." – Ken [41:16]

The client isn’t surprised, requests more surveillance (“That’s what we expected, and we want more.” – Ken [37:13]), and Ken delivers further evidence over consecutive days.

On Relationships and Ego in Celebrity Circles

"It was probably like you could bang everybody on the ranch, just nobody outside of the ranch." – Ken [42:32] "That just goes to show you, when you have more money than God and when you have this status and when you have this staff and when you can, why not like it? Yeah, it's the image. And you have this plethora of women around you, right? But you're worried about this one." – Mackenzie [43:33]

4. Other Noteworthy PI Tales from Ken

Handling Threats from Oligarch-Level Clients

[43:46–48:13] Ken shares about another case involving a wealthy "oligarch" and cheating partners, successful surveillance using decoy tactics, and subsequent legal threats from angry, powerful clients.

Gender Dynamics and Surveillance Skills

[57:49–61:11] Ken acknowledges that women often excel as investigators: “Women are definitely better at talking to people...You roll up, you smile at me, girl, what do you need to know? I got you. I roll up and they're like, hey, go f*** yourself." [59:11]
Mackenzie: “There's some savvy, there's some moxie. You have to be smart...Your femtuition, your gut instinct has to be on point.” [58:23]

5. Advice Corner

For Dating Safely:

[52:43–53:59]
- Keep initial meetings light and public (coffee).
- Use a burner phone or Google Voice for handing out your number, increasing safety.

"Keep it light and easy. Set a coffee meeting. And if they don't show up? Done." – Ken [52:43] "It's like 10 bucks a month or whatever and you're not gonna get killed, you know, it's a good price." – Ken [53:47]

On Who Cheats More

[54:01–54:53] Split opinion: Both agree infidelity is increasingly equal among men and women, with women getting “better at not getting caught.”

For Aspiring PIs & Industry Realities

[55:07–56:49]
- Get a government job first for retirement benefits, as PI work is tough and not always lucrative.
- Real surveillance isn’t glamorous: “Following people is nothing cute like TV...” – Ken [56:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"I'm Kenough." – Ken, joking about his name and Barbie associations [03:41]
"If I'm not breaking the law, like, what have you got?" – Ken on taking new clients [04:36]
"What do I not see?" – Ken, after witnessing a midday affair in a glass-walled house [28:00]
"I was like, am I taking crazy pills? Like, how did I miss her?" – Ken, upon losing the subject in winding LA hills [23:45]
"Sometimes I like being the fun guy at the bar with all the, like, million stories...and sometimes I don't want to be that moron PI." – Ken [48:44]
"Women are definitely better at talking to people...the guard's already been dropped." – Ken [59:11]
"You gotta have moxie. You gotta be bold. You gotta be brave...Isn't that a song? You gotta be bold. You gotta..." – Mackenzie [73:12]

Timestamps for Important Segments

03:18: Ken joins, discusses his PI origin story and LA experience
14:37–29:02: Detailed account of the Bunny Ranch surveillance and infamous window scene
35:13–36:22: Legal/ethical clarifications on PI surveillance
36:53–44:50: Handling client responses, ethical evidence handling, and aftermath
54:01: Discussion on cheating demographics
57:49–61:11: Gender, skills, and being underestimated as a PI
72:34–74:29: The realities and business challenges of PI work

Episode Takeaways

Real PI work requires acute observation, ethics, adaptability, and integrating into surroundings ('act like you belong').
Celebrity surveillance poses unique challenges: privacy, legal risks, managing egos, and potential retaliation from powerful clients.
In both dating and investigations, trusting intuition, maintaining boundaries, and verifying information are key.
The field is open to women, who bring distinct advantages in social engineering and surveillance.
Aspiring PIs need to be prepared for an unpredictable but rewarding career path—and should consider practicalities like retirement plans.

Connect with Ken Childs

Instagram: @licensedpi (tentative handle)
Paramount Investigative Services: [Website—Google to find more]

This episode blends eye-opening PI stories with practical dating and investigative advice, highlighting both the excitement and everyday grit of uncovering secrets in the world’s most image-conscious city.

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Ken—Contrasts in PI Approaches

[00:38–03:16] The hosts introduce Ken Childs, noting different PI styles (male vs. female, California vs. Florida) and the variety of legal frameworks and personal techniques. They look forward to sharing PI perspectives that break away from TV stereotypes.

"We've both been at this for 20-plus years, which is great... there's just some differences. And we've both been at this for 20-plus years, which is great. But I—we do have some differences, which is really cool." – Mackenzie [01:29]

2. Ken’s A-lister Investigation: The Sunset Strip Stakeout

The Case Assignment

[03:16–04:46] Ken receives a cryptic call from a "manager" for a Beverly Hills ranch associated with a high-profile, "bunny"-related magazine owner.
The client tests Ken’s discretion about discussing past celebrity clients.

"I think it was a little bit of a test that if I would talk about my clients...I think that would have ended the conversation." – Ken [07:30]

Setting the Scene: Holmby Hills and Surveillance Challenges

[04:55–07:14] The assignment: Discreetly determine if the girlfriend of this notable figure is cheating, as the staff suspects she disappears for hours at a time.
Ken describes the ultra-affluent neighborhood and his initial meeting in a “dirty dive diner.”

"I was like, oh, I can't believe what I'm about to sign up for..." – Ken [06:12]

The Stakeout Sequence

[14:37–23:04] Ken positions himself behind 20ft hedges on a narrow, no-parking street, managing to evade mansion security. His luck spikes when a tour bus full of “bunnies” distracts all eyes, and he spots the girlfriend slipping away by car.

"As I'm there, this massive tour bus shows up and then all these bikini-clad girls jump out...and I'm just sitting there like, what the fuck?" – Ken [14:37]

Following the Subject & Uncovering the Truth

Tracks her to a brunch spot in LA ("I'm having brunch with her, I think" – Ken [18:26]), then down Sunset Boulevard, and finally up into the winding hills.
She disappears onto a private drive that is merely marked private to keep outsiders away. Ken gets help from a security guard working a movie shoot, who leads him to the girlfriend’s hidden house.

"I point to the picture, and he lights up, and he's like, come with me." – Ken [22:52]

From a nearby construction site, Ken films through the house’s open glass windows, confirming an intimate rendezvous with a younger man, a “super handsome, trying-to-break-in singer.”

"Here's this, like, young stud, butt naked and she's going down on him and fully enjoying themselves." – Ken [28:19]

Legal & Ethical Considerations

[35:13–36:22] Ken explains filming from a public vantage point is legal (“If I'm where the postal person could be...and I saw what I could see, then why can I not film it?”).
Emphasizes refusing to zoom beyond what a regular bystander would see.

3. Aftermath: Delivering the Evidence & Client Response

[36:53–44:50] Ken meets with the manager, hands over all original footage in a mafia-style meeting in the back of a town car, and deletes every copy in front of the client to avoid risks of a leak.

"Here's your one and only copy. Play it in your device, and the second you're good, we're done...I literally deleted it off my camera. I deleted it off my laptop, like, right there in front of him." – Ken [41:16]

The client isn’t surprised, requests more surveillance (“That’s what we expected, and we want more.” – Ken [37:13]), and Ken delivers further evidence over consecutive days.

On Relationships and Ego in Celebrity Circles

"It was probably like you could bang everybody on the ranch, just nobody outside of the ranch." – Ken [42:32] "That just goes to show you, when you have more money than God and when you have this status and when you have this staff and when you can, why not like it? Yeah, it's the image. And you have this plethora of women around you, right? But you're worried about this one." – Mackenzie [43:33]

4. Other Noteworthy PI Tales from Ken

Handling Threats from Oligarch-Level Clients

[43:46–48:13] Ken shares about another case involving a wealthy "oligarch" and cheating partners, successful surveillance using decoy tactics, and subsequent legal threats from angry, powerful clients.

Gender Dynamics and Surveillance Skills

[57:49–61:11] Ken acknowledges that women often excel as investigators: “Women are definitely better at talking to people...You roll up, you smile at me, girl, what do you need to know? I got you. I roll up and they're like, hey, go f*** yourself." [59:11]
Mackenzie: “There's some savvy, there's some moxie. You have to be smart...Your femtuition, your gut instinct has to be on point.” [58:23]

5. Advice Corner

For Dating Safely:

[52:43–53:59]
- Keep initial meetings light and public (coffee).
- Use a burner phone or Google Voice for handing out your number, increasing safety.

"Keep it light and easy. Set a coffee meeting. And if they don't show up? Done." – Ken [52:43] "It's like 10 bucks a month or whatever and you're not gonna get killed, you know, it's a good price." – Ken [53:47]

On Who Cheats More

[54:01–54:53] Split opinion: Both agree infidelity is increasingly equal among men and women, with women getting “better at not getting caught.”

For Aspiring PIs & Industry Realities

[55:07–56:49]
- Get a government job first for retirement benefits, as PI work is tough and not always lucrative.
- Real surveillance isn’t glamorous: “Following people is nothing cute like TV...” – Ken [56:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"I'm Kenough." – Ken, joking about his name and Barbie associations [03:41]
"If I'm not breaking the law, like, what have you got?" – Ken on taking new clients [04:36]
"What do I not see?" – Ken, after witnessing a midday affair in a glass-walled house [28:00]
"I was like, am I taking crazy pills? Like, how did I miss her?" – Ken, upon losing the subject in winding LA hills [23:45]
"Sometimes I like being the fun guy at the bar with all the, like, million stories...and sometimes I don't want to be that moron PI." – Ken [48:44]
"Women are definitely better at talking to people...the guard's already been dropped." – Ken [59:11]
"You gotta have moxie. You gotta be bold. You gotta be brave...Isn't that a song? You gotta be bold. You gotta..." – Mackenzie [73:12]

Timestamps for Important Segments

03:18: Ken joins, discusses his PI origin story and LA experience
14:37–29:02: Detailed account of the Bunny Ranch surveillance and infamous window scene
35:13–36:22: Legal/ethical clarifications on PI surveillance
36:53–44:50: Handling client responses, ethical evidence handling, and aftermath
54:01: Discussion on cheating demographics
57:49–61:11: Gender, skills, and being underestimated as a PI
72:34–74:29: The realities and business challenges of PI work

Episode Takeaways

Real PI work requires acute observation, ethics, adaptability, and integrating into surroundings ('act like you belong').
Celebrity surveillance poses unique challenges: privacy, legal risks, managing egos, and potential retaliation from powerful clients.
In both dating and investigations, trusting intuition, maintaining boundaries, and verifying information are key.
The field is open to women, who bring distinct advantages in social engineering and surveillance.
Aspiring PIs need to be prepared for an unpredictable but rewarding career path—and should consider practicalities like retirement plans.

Connect with Ken Childs

Instagram: @licensedpi (tentative handle)
Paramount Investigative Services: [Website—Google to find more]

Ken Undercover: The Sunset Strip Stakeout

Powered by Wave AI

Summary

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Ken—Contrasts in PI Approaches

2. Ken’s A-lister Investigation: The Sunset Strip Stakeout

The Case Assignment

Setting the Scene: Holmby Hills and Surveillance Challenges

The Stakeout Sequence

Following the Subject & Uncovering the Truth

Legal & Ethical Considerations

3. Aftermath: Delivering the Evidence & Client Response

On Relationships and Ego in Celebrity Circles

4. Other Noteworthy PI Tales from Ken

Handling Threats from Oligarch-Level Clients

Gender Dynamics and Surveillance Skills

5. Advice Corner

For Dating Safely:

On Who Cheats More

For Aspiring PIs & Industry Realities

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Episode Takeaways

Connect with Ken Childs

Summary

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Ken—Contrasts in PI Approaches

2. Ken’s A-lister Investigation: The Sunset Strip Stakeout

The Case Assignment

Setting the Scene: Holmby Hills and Surveillance Challenges

The Stakeout Sequence

Following the Subject & Uncovering the Truth

Legal & Ethical Considerations

3. Aftermath: Delivering the Evidence & Client Response

On Relationships and Ego in Celebrity Circles

4. Other Noteworthy PI Tales from Ken

Handling Threats from Oligarch-Level Clients

Gender Dynamics and Surveillance Skills

5. Advice Corner

For Dating Safely:

On Who Cheats More

For Aspiring PIs & Industry Realities

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Episode Takeaways

Connect with Ken Childs