Sadly, this trust was grievously breached at a middle school in New York, where it was uncovered that the principal was attempting to lure an underage student to having intercourse.
The 55-year-old principal was taken into custody last week on felony charges while trying to entice a 16-year-old girl into having sex with him at a remote location where he was found with chicken nuggets and a Grimace milkshake from McDonald’s as well as a box condoms.
From Law and Crime:
Authorities confirmed that Erickson and the victim knew each other, as she was previously a student of the middle school.
“As a father, I know this is a nightmare scenario for any parent. We entrust our schools with the care and safety of our children, and to have an individual violate that trust, abuse their power and prey on a very student charged in our schools’ care is beyond disgusting,” Sheriff Fred Akshar said in a statement. “If anyone in our community finds themselves in a similar situation, whether you are a student or a parent of a student, it’s critically important that you come forward immediately and make your school and law enforcement aware.”
According to a Monday press release from the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were alerted Wednesday, July 5, to a situation involving an adult male — later identified as Erickson — who was allegedly making unlawful attempts to meet a minor for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity.
Investigators say that the initial interaction between Erickson and the victim began at least one week prior to his arrest, with Erickson allegedly posing as a younger adult on Snapchat and striking up a conversation with the teen. However, Erickson was allegedly able to convince the victim of his true identity using his position as the Johnson City Middle School Principal and the school district database information.
It's deeply unsettling to consider the presence of such a predator in close proximity to young children, and it raises concerns about whether this was their initial transgression.
Given the calculated nature of their tactics and level of preparedness, it appears unlikely that this was their first offense.
