Phoenix, AZ – Joe Kinney, the principal of Buckeye Union High School, has been arrested on charges of attempting to lure a child online. Authorities allege that Kinney used a social media app to communicate with an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. During these interactions, Kinney is said to have exchanged photos, engaged in explicit conversations, and expressed a desire to “rescue her” from Oregon.
The FBI tracked the messages to Kinney, leading to the seizure of his phone during a traffic stop. According to reports, Kinney admitted to talking to individuals who claimed to be children online, but he insisted that he believed it was merely a “fantasy” and that he never intended to act on it.
Kinney now faces one count of luring a minor for sexual exploitation. In response to the allegations, officials from the Buckeye Union High School District have confirmed that Kinney has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the law enforcement investigation.