"Why did I do this? Why? Why? Why?" - Daily talking to himself as he is handcuffed on the sand.
Eugene Daily is a potential predator involved in the Ocean County, New Jersey edition of To Catch a Predator. He is best known for his hilarious quotes while being exposed on television and subsequently arrested.
Biography[]
Eugene Daily, a fifty-three-year-old married man, engaged online with a Perverted Justice decoy who was posing as a thirteen-year-old girl. Daily provided false information about his identity, claiming to be a 49-year-old man named "Kevin". Within a minute of initiating the conversation, Daily requested to speak with the decoy on the phone and referred to her as "the daughter [I] never had." He proposed a meeting and offered to take her out for a burger and soda, but added that he would have to leave early to pick up his wife. Daily expressed interest in meeting again if their first encounter went well and admitted that he wanted to "kiss, play, and feel" the decoy. He proceeded to ask if she had any sexual experience and if a man had ever performed oral sex on her or if she had ever orgasmed. Before concluding the conversation, Daily reminded the decoy that he could only stay for a brief period of time due to his obligation to pick up his wife.
Sting[]
Rather than meeting an actual child, Daily encountered eighteen-year-old actress Casey Mauro on the beach near the sting house. The two sit down, and during their conversation, Daily described his sexual desires to Mauro and instructed her to "relax" while assuring her that he would "take care of everything". He encouraged Mauro to be herself and offered to "touch" and "explain" as they progressed. When Mauro asked if he had brought a condom, Daily replied that he did not plan to engage in any sexual activity that day. He expressed concern that the meeting was rushed, did not believe that Mauro was a real child, and scanned the area for police officers. Daily revealed that he wanted to "hold, kiss, and touch" Mauro to get her "excited", citing his previous experiences. He promised to take it slow and admitted to feeling nervous due to the decoy's young age, stating that he did not believe she was real. As Frag coached Mauro on what to say, Daily characterized their interaction as an "experience" that she would "enjoy" and suggested they take "baby steps".
Daily's attempt to meet up with the underage girl was quickly halted when Chris Hansen confronted him. Upon Hansen's approach, Daily inquired if he was the girl's father. When Hansen confronted him, Daily asked if Hansen was a police officer and insisted that he wasn't doing anything. Hansen then reminded him of what he had just said to the decoy moments earlier. Daily claimed that he knew it was a set-up and that law enforcement was involved. He justified his knowledge by stating that the girl was young and wasn't going to do anything. When Hansen asked for his age, Daily initially stated that he was 43 but then corrected himself to say he was 53. Hansen pointed out that he had told the decoy that he was 49. Daily maintained that he didn't believe she was 13 and stated again that he had been aware of the set-up all along. He berated himself and admitted that he needed to pick up his wife from work. He also confessed that he was currently unemployed and had just finished working at the post office. Daily then acknowledged that he had seen other men get arrested on TV for trying to have sex with minors and asked if he was being recorded. This prompted Hansen to reveal his identity, and Daily requested not to be recorded. As he attempted to leave, police swooped in and arrested him. While being handcuffed, Daily repeatedly muttered to himself, "Why did I do this? Why? Why? Why?"
After the Sting[]
After being arrested, Daily was initially charged with one count of attempted sexual assault, which was a second-degree felony, and one count of luring, which was also a second-degree felony. If convicted, he could have faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.[1] Following his involvement in the sting, Daily was granted bail while awaiting sentencing. However, he was taken into custody on October 17, 2008, and was released on February 9, 2009 after pleading guilty to a lesser felony. While he avoided prison time, Daily received a lifetime sentence of parole supervision and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.[2] Shockingly, Daily's marriage is believed to have survived the ordeal. Despite this, Daily breached his parole conditions on September 4, 2018, leading to his arrest the following day. As a result, he was sentenced to a year in jail and released on September 3, 2019.[3]
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
Daily: "play with u, hold u, kiss u, feel u"
Decoy: "kiss me where?"
Daily: "all over"
- "You just try to relax and I'll take care of everything, okay?"
- "I just got done working my second tour of duty at the post office."
- "Oh this is gonna go on TV now? Oh Chris, please, this'll ruin me. Please, no more cameras. Please, Chris."
- "Alright, c'mon! Aww geez, please. Oh god." [while getting arrested]
- "Why did I do this? Why? Why? Why?"