How ethical is it behind the scenes at NBC’s To Catch A Predator? Not very, according to The Smoking Gun.

In fact, excerpts from ousted producer Marsha Bartel’s breach of contract lawsuit allege the show “violated ‘numerous journalistic ethical standards’ and many of the network’s own ‘policies and guidelines.’”

Reports TSG:

Bartel charges that many of the program’s ethical lapses stem from its relationship with Perverted Justice, a shadowy vigilante group that the show uses to “troll for and lure targets into its sting.’

But, of course, that’s not all.

According to Bartel, by paying Perverted Justice, NBC has given the group a “financial incentive to lie to trick targets of its sting.” The identities of the group’s 50-plus volunteers were kept secret from her, Bartel says, adding that Perverted Justice does not provide “complete transcripts from its trolling operations,” so network officials “cannot independently verify the accuracy” of the group’s transcripts. In some instances, Bartel claims, sting targets are “led into additional acts of humiliation (such as being encouraged to remove their clothes) in order to enhance the comedic effect of the public exposure of these persons.”

Moreover, Bartel claims the law enforcement officials were something out of Reno: 911 occasionally unprofessional, and did things like “wav[e] rubber chickens in the faces of sting targets.”*

Naturally, we don’t watch the show personally [Ed.: One half of this blog watches it religiously!], so we can’t attest to its inherent perviness. That said, we have heard that reality shows sometimes “stir the pot,” as it were, and have even been known to occasionally instigate melodrama in an attempt to boost ratings.

Which is all well and good on The Real World, but slightly less ethical when it comes to apprehending alleged child molesters.

Thus, while we’re not overly creeped out by the rubber chicken-waving thing, we are fairly uncomfortable with the idea of Predator producers relying on unidentified vigilantes with a “financial incentive.”

You know, kind of like if we were to suddenly learn that the U.S.’ war against Iraq was somehow financially motivated, and that we’re not necessarily getting the most accurate updates but, rather, the ones the government wants us to hear.

Of course now we’re just being paranoid…

*Talk about cruel and unusual torture!