Brian Bates of JohnTV.com: Doing His Part to End Prostitution in Oklahoma

Erin Adams
Erin Adams, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Aug 15, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
Brian Bates has always been an activist. He was raised to give back and he has. Mr. Bates was the youngest certified HIV/AIDS counselor in the state of Oklahoma in the 1980's while still in high school but he never envisioned his activism would lead to where it has.

From a marketing major at the University of Oklahoma to the Video Vigilante, Brian Bates has become a celebrity of sorts. Mr. Bates has appeared on numerous television and radio shows such as the Maury Povich show, CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports, 48 hours, and Court T.V.

In 1996, Brian Bates found himself in a prostitution ridden neighborhood in North West Oklahoma City. Faced with police and city officials who showed a lack of willingness to do anything about the prostitution problems plaguing his neighborhood, Brian Bates took matters into his own hands and picked up his video camera. Mr. Bates began not only catching prostitutes and their "johns" on tape in the "act" but submitting those videos to the media.

In 2006 Brian Bates launched JohnTV.com. The site says "JohnTV.com is one Oklahoma man's effort to target, expose and impact street and organized prostitution and the sexual trafficking of individuals." And it profiles prostitutes and Johns that Mr. Bates has caught on tape.

Occasionally, when the police respond to a call from Mr. Bates, regardless of the video evidence provided to them, Mr. Bates finds himself in a position where he himself must sign a citation, basically amounting to a citizen's arrest. That was the case in June Of 2007 when Mr. Bates caught a Lowes delivery driver having sex with a hooker in his delivery truck while on the clock.

The title of "Video Vigilante" has been with Brian Bates since his first video was given to the media. When asked if he felt the moniker was a negative label, Mr. Bates said "The news needed a catchy title to tease the story so the "Video Vigilante" was born. Initially I fought the moniker. I felt it was negative and would only hurt my efforts. Eventually I came to appreciate the title and even feel I can make the term "vigilante" a positive one. The term "Video Vigilante" has been around long before I and has been used on many people since. When you hear the term vigilante most people get images of public mobs, lynchings and such. But vigilante really means "to be watchful." I do not take the law into my own hands. I use the laws in the purpose to which they were intended - to empower citizens and to aid in the prosecution of criminals."

The Video Vigilante Videos can be seen at www.johntv.com

Published by Erin Adams

35 year old pseduo-writer with a dark side ;)   View profile

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  • Mr. Bates has appeared on numerous television and radio shows such as the Maury Povich show
  • Mr. Bates was the youngest certified HIV/AIDS counselor in the state of Oklahoma
  • Brian Bates took matters into his own hands and picked up his video camera.
Occasionally, when the police respond to a call from Mr. Bates, regardless of the video evidence provided to them, Mr. Bates finds himself in a position where he himself must sign a citation, basically amounting to a citizen's arrest.

10 Comments

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  • Sharon 12/21/2010

    Brian Bates is a sick sick man, going around taping people having sex, he probaly goes home and plays with himself looking at them, he is the one the police should be putting in jail. he really is a sick weirdo

  • Tim 7/16/2010

    This guy is a complete douchebag. He is also a pervert. It would take a pervert to continue videotaping the things that he videotapes. I hope like hell that the guy is eventually arrested and thrown in jail.

    If I was a police officer, I would tell Brian to go f*ck himself, and I would move on to more serious problems. Lets face it, most acts of prostitution do not occur "in the view" of the public. They happen in cars, etc, and the "children" that Bates is always crying over do not know this is happening, and probably don't care. Bates is always saying "the kids can't play outside 'cause you are having sex with a 'whore'." Now...how in the world would these children know that? They wouldn't, and even if they did, what kind of traumatic situation would that be anyways?

    There are more important matters to worry about, and Brian Bates probably takes these videos home with home and jerks off watching them. He's a sick egotist that should be jailed for the crap that he pulls.

  • SMALL PIMP SHORTY 1/1/2010

    BUT ON THE REAL BRIAN YOUR COOL

  • small pimp shorty 1/1/2010

    I KILLED 2PAC

  • hgn178 12/20/2009

    I think what Brian Bates is doing on the prostitution end is admorable, but at the same time, he needs to mind his own business. For one, I do not condone prostitution, but people are gonna do what they want anyway with or without this annoying dude all up in their business. As for messing with public servants, he is totally out of line and needs to mind his own business. He does'nt have to see nor deal with the drama and trauma that they deal with on a daily basis. So if they park in front of a dang fire hydrant for 3 mins. while they get a cup of coffee, don't be a douche-bag Brian and leave them alone!!!!

  • Erin Adams 8/4/2009

    try http://www.youtube.com/user/videovigilanteokc

  • Daisy 8/4/2009

    Now where's the real Brian Bates channel? Every time I put in johntv, i get millions of different people URLs and NOT what I'm wanting to find.

  • Erin Adams 10/19/2008

    Mr. Bates was indeed charged, But not convicted, of soliciting prostitution. He was aquitted by a jury.

  • Jack 8/2/2008

    I hear (this is a confirmed fact) that Brian Bates was arrested for being a pimp. Now what do you have to say?

  • Wes Laurie 9/13/2007

    Thanks for sharing. Hope you visit some of my articles as well. Thanks.

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