Photo: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
A high school principal in Arizona was arrested for allegedly trying to lure an underage girl on social media. Court documents detail the allegations against Buckeye Union High School Principal Joe Kinney, who is facing charges of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.
Prosecutors said that Kinney contacted a girl, who he thought was 12 years old, using the social media app Whisper in July. He exchanged photos and had explicit conversations with the girl. In one message, he said he would "love to come rescue her" from her home in Oregon.
What Kinney didn't realize is that he was speaking to an undercover FBI agent the whole time. The FBI tracked Kinney and served a search warrant at his home on September 3. He was later pulled over by FBI agents, who seized his phone.
While Kinney admitted to having the conversations, he claimed it was part of a "fantasy chat" in which he assumed the girl was an adult pretending to be a child.
"[Kinney] said he never actually believed they were underage and assumed they were all adults and just engaged in fantasy chat and role-playing," prosecutors wrote in court filings. "[Kinney] recalled one female telling him she was nine years old, but her photo didn't look like a nine-year-old, so he assumed she was an adult."
Kinney's bail was set at $60,000. If he posts bail, he will be placed under electronic monitoring and be barred from having any contact with minors. In addition, he would be barred from accessing the internet.
The Buckeye Union High School District said that Kinney had been placed on administrative leave.
"The Buckeye Union High School District has been informed that BUHS Principal Mr. Joe Kinney is under law enforcement investigation for a personal matter unrelated to his work with the school or district.
Per district policy, Mr. Kinney has been placed on administrative leave until further notice. In the interim, Ms. Kristin Koke will assume the duties of principal at Buckeye Union High School.
Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot share further details at this time. Our focus is on ensuring our students have access to an outstanding educational experience," the district said in a statement to KASW.