Bill Conradt

For three months, News 8 has been reporting on questions about the NBC TV show "To Catch a Predator," and its sting operation in Murphy, Texas.

The network is now being sued for $105 million by the sister of a man who died as the program was being produced.

The final sting in the Murphy episode of "To Catch a Predator" showed Murphy and Terrell Police entering the home of former Kaufman County District Attorney Bill Conradt with an erroneous search warrant.

Conradt—an alleged internet sexual predator—killed himself before police could arrest him.

"The entertainment industry cannot act as police, judge, jury, executioner," said Patrica Conradt, Bill's sister. "And for a corporation like NBC, ratings and money matter."

"To Catch a Predator" is a ratings success for NBC. The lawsuit alleges:

• the network puts its profits ahead of trapping sexual predators

• the show unethically obtains confidential data from local law enforcement officials

• the program fabricates evidence and ultimately commits bribery by offering law enforcement officials inducements to participate

• the show coerced law enforcement officials into cooperating with its stings

All of that adds up to racketeering, bribery and civil rights violations, according the the lawsuit, which charges that Bill Conradt, who was 56, died as a result.

"I have no problem—and I'm sure the nation should have no problem—with cameras standing behind the police and law enforcement doing their job," said Patricia Conradt's lawyer, Bruce Baron. "Everyone should have a problem with the cameras in front of the police, as was here."

The lawsuit alleges that a pattern of bribery existed between NBC and law enforcement officials in six other cities besides Murphy where the show was taped.

Baron said he has no plans to sue the City of Murphy at this time.

Jenny Tartikoff, spokeswoman for the Dateline NBC series, said the network has not yet received the lawsuit, which was filed late Monday in the U.S. Southern District Court of New York, where the network's offices are based.

Tartikoff said she could not comment about details due to the pending litigation, but the network plans to defend itself "vigorously as we believe the claims in the suit to be completely without merit."

The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.

E-mail bharris@wfaa.com