If you've watched TV lately or listened to the radio, it's been hard to avoid Jack McClellan.

It's hard to know what to even call him.  I've heard him described as a "self-proclaimed pedophile" or "pedophile advocate."

McClellan is a 45-year-old homeless guy with a history of mental issues, including depression.  He used to have a website where he posted pictures of little girls and talked about the best place to find them.

But he's never been convicted of any crime.  He's NOT a registered sex offender.

The guy sure loves publicity.  He sat down for a long interview with KFI's John and Ken last week.  And he's appeared on other media outlets, too, including this one.  Last night, he did an on-camera interview with one of our reporters.  Then the police at UCLA handcuffed him and arrested him for trespassing.  A statewide court order prohibits him from coming within 10 yards of any child, and earlier in the day he'd been seen outside a child development building.

McClellan gets a kick out out of talking about his attraction to little girls.  That doesn't exactly fit the profile of most child molesters.  Most of them try to fly under the radar.

His behavior has caused more than one observer to wonder if he really is a pedophile, or just a person who wants attention.

But the news media needs Jack just as much as it seems he needs us.

McClellan is a compelling story.  If he is who he says he is, he's a brazen potential predator who has invaded our community.   And he keeps popping up in public places where children are nearby. 

That is scary.  And people's reaction to it is simple and visceral. They want to string this guy up.

Perfect for TV news and talkradio, even if the reality is probably a little more complicated than it seems.

Check out KTLA reporter Chip Yost's interview with McClellan by clicking on the link below (and by the way, we did not pay him for the interview, as KNBC falsely implied on their newscast last night):

Download jackinterview.wmv