Texas school superintendent arrested in sting in which officers posed as teens

NBC News ^ | 06/02/2023 | Antonio Planas

[simpson96]

A Texas school superintendent sent lewd photos to an undercover officer posing online as a 15-year-old girl he planned to meet with, authorities said.

Michael Keith Stevens, 47, superintendent of the Itasca Independent School District, was arrested Thursday and accused of online solicitation of a minor, according to court records.

Itasca Independent School District is about 55 miles south of Dallas. (snip)

Stevens was one of seven people arrested after an undercover operation with more than a dozen local law enforcement agencies. Officers posed as teens ages 13, 14 and 15 and communicated online, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said in a video statement posted on Facebook.

Rosen said the school administrator was allegedly communicating with a teen he believed was from Houston.

“He sent pictures of his private parts and asked for nude videos and images in return,” The constable said. “He told the undercover investigator he was at work and some of his disturbing photos appear to be taken in his office. And during the conversation, he was planning a trip to Houston to engage in sex acts."

“Stevens has been around children his entire work life. He has been a coach, a principal and an assistant principal in various towns across north Texas. He is married with no children," Rosen added.

[MD Expat in PA]

Years ago I had an unsolicited online conversation with someone claiming to be 15 and “troubled at home” wanting to be taken away from “her” situation and propositioned sexual encounters for “help.” After I commented her to contact her school counselor and mother rather than look for someone on the internet, I was never contacted be “her” again. Pretty sure this was an entrapment effort as well. These stories remind me of the Tom Cruise Movie where they are arrested for “thought crimes.”

It may have been a sting op and you did the right thing and so were not entrapped. But you could have been talking to a Nigerian scammer where they try to entrap and extort money by saying they will expose you for talking with an underage person. This is more common than you might think. You may have talking to an adult male Nigerian located in Lagos hoping to extort you.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/pr/2023_0503_Sextortion_Indictment

[DrHFrog]

good point.... didn’t think of that....really thought it was a crazed teen or more likely a sting from law authorities setting up an entrapment.

[MD Expat in PA]

good point.... didn’t think of that....really thought it was a crazed teen or more likely a sting from law authorities setting up an entrapment.

There are so many scams and scammers out there, so many variations.

One scam on the rise is the “Pig Butchering” scam that combines a “romance” scam with an investment spin that involves cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency Scam - Pig Butchering

Sometimes these scams can include threats of physical violence.

Victim Sends $170,000 To A Fake Business Woman