Principal tries meeting student for sex, arrives with McDonald’s and condoms, NY cops say
A middle school principal tried meeting a 16-year-old student for sex after messaging her over Snapchat and revealing his true identity to her, authorities in central New York said.
When Johnson City Middle School Principal Daniel Erickson arrived at a remote location expecting a sexual encounter with the teen on July 7, he brought a McDonald’s Grimace milkshake, chicken nuggets and a box of condoms, according to a news conference held by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office on July 10.
Detectives were at the location instead of the 16-year-old, who attends Johnson City High School, and arrested him, the sheriff’s office said in a July 10 news release.
Now Erickson, 55, of Greene, is facing charges of luring a child and attempted rape, according to authorities.
He’s being held at the Broome County Correctional Facility without bail, the sheriff’s office said. Information regarding whether he has legal representation wasn’t immediately available the afternoon of July 11.
The Johnson City Central School District placed Erickson on administrative leave until further notice, according to a letter from Superintendent of Schools Eric Race posted to the district’s website. The letter confirms his arrest and the charges he’s facing.
He’s barred from stepping on school district grounds and cannot use any devices owned by the district, according to the letter, which says school officials are cooperating with authorities.
“The evidence so far does not establish that any offense occurred on District property, however, the case remains under active investigation and the District will provide additional information as it becomes available,” Race wrote.
On July 5, the sheriff’s office received a tip about Erickson communicating with the 16-year-old, according to the release.
Initially, Erickson pretended to be a younger adult while messaging her on Snapchat before letting her know he was the Johnson City Middle School principal, authorities said. He proved this to her by using school district database information, according to the sheriff’s office.
Before his arrest, Erickson was messaging the teenager for about a week, the release said. During that time, he tried meeting her several times and even showed up at her house, but she never came outside to see him, according to authorities.
“As a father, I know this is a nightmare scenario for any parent,” Sheriff Fred Akshar said in a statement. “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.”
Johnson City, a village in the Town of Union, is about 75 miles south of Syracuse.
This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Principal tries meeting student for sex, arrives with McDonald’s and condoms, NY cops say."
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