I think the reason lies not in Bitcoin which give people privacy and anonymity but in people themselves. Or you want to say that the amount of sick and down-at-heel people is increasing since Bitcoin had been launched? Nope, they always existed and they don't need Bitcoin to hide and find a way to bring their darkest dreams and desires into reality.
No matter how positive was the goal to create such technology like Bitcoin, there are always those who used it in a distinctively abusive way. So, with that I have to agree with you. Looking at the bigger picture, Bitcoin has nothing to do with how the criminals used it because of its complete anonimity when doing transactions, because It wasnt designed to be used that way in the first place.
So, media who always drags down Bitcoin everytime a crime happened which involves Cryptocurrency is pure stupidity.