Chasing Shadows

Episode 15 - Inside the Mind of an Online Predator

Episode 15 - Inside the Mind of an Online Predator When an arrest makes the news, we call them monsters. But if we only see predators as monsters, we miss the warning signs hiding in plain sight. In this episode of Chasing Shadows, investigator Sean Lacy takes listeners inside the psychology of online predators — not to excuse their behavior, but to understand how they think, how they justify their actions, and how they blend into everyday life. Drawing from years of interviews, interrogations, and real cases, Sean explains why many offenders don’t look suspicious, don’t act impulsively, and often live seemingly normal lives while operating in secret online worlds.

Episode 14: When Kids Become Offenders

Episode 14- When Kids Become Offenders: The Collapse of the Line Between Victim and Criminal For decades, child exploitation cases followed a familiar pattern: adult offender, child victim. That model is breaking down. In this episode of Chasing Shadows, veteran investigator Sean Lacy exposes a disturbing new reality — one where children are no longer just being targeted online, but are being pulled into the machinery of exploitation itself. Drawing from real investigations, Sean explains how normalized teen sexting, viral image sharing, and underground online marketplaces are turning victims into participants — sometimes without them even realizing it. He walks listeners through cases in which juveniles were found producing and distributing explicit images of themselves for money, revealing how modern technology has collapsed the line between victim and offender.

Episode 13: The Online Grooming Playbook

he Grooming Playbook: How Predators Prepare Children Before Anyone Notices Every day, children receive new phones, tablets, and gaming systems — and most parents worry about screen time. Very few think about grooming. But online exploitation rarely begins with sex. It begins with trust. In this episode of Chasing Shadows, veteran investigator Sean Lacy breaks down the real grooming playbook used by online predators across every platform and app. Drawing from hundreds of investigations, Sean explains how offenders slowly build emotional control over children long before parents see any warning signs.

Episode 12: 764 - Inside the Violent Sextortion Network

A three-digit number is showing up on the phones of teens across American and behind it is one of the most aggressive sextortion networks in the world. In this episode, Sean Lacy takes you inside the criminal enterprise know as "764", an organized, international group responsible for targeting thousands of minors through Snapchat, Instagram, Discord and in every shadow of the internet.

Episode 11: Digital Guardians — A Deep Dive on Bark

Episode 11: Digital Guardians — A Deep Dive on Bark Technology built the problem—but it can also be part of the solution. In this episode of Chasing Shadows, digital forensic investigator Sean Lacy explores how Bark is helping parents protect kids in an increasingly connected world. From the Bark App that monitors messages and images, to the Bark Phone that puts safety first, to the Bark Watch and Bark Home that extend protection across every device in the house—Sean breaks down what works, what doesn’t, and what parents need to know.