A former Dateline producer has filed suit against NBC for requiring her to "serve as bait for targets" while working on the show's "Wild, Wild Web" series. One of those targets was known around the office as the Sperminator.

Kimberly Lengle claims that she initially interviewed to be a receptionist at the network but was told she needed to dress sexier. During her time as a freelance producer for the show from December 2012 to May 2013, Lengle also claims she was required to respond to online sex ads to get stories for the Dateline series, most of which never aired. Among other assignments, Lengle says she was required to respond to an ad for a topless cleaning service, set up to meet a man promising great sex on Xanax, and made to apply for a job at a Las Vegas brothel after training on how to pose as a prostitute.

Lengle says no male producers were ever assigned to the sex stories. She also alleges sexual harassment from her supervisor. Despite employing protection measures such as pseudonyms and dedicated email accounts, Lengle's supervisor allegedly had the female producers send real images of themselves when they were luring a target. A target like the Sperminator.

The target, who presumably did not actually call himself the Sperminator—that was just his nickname around the Dateline office. He presented himself online as a "natural intercourse sperm donor." His ad, to which Lengle was asked to respond, featured pictures of him naked save for his dick (which was in a box). The ad also showed a picture of a girl he claimed to have fathered. The segment was deemed too sleazy to air.

NBC responded to the lawsuit in a statement reading, "We took this freelancer's allegations very seriously and determined that her claims were entirely without merit. We will vigorously defend our position in this case."