In the last few weeks we have seen numerous examples of people in power or in leadership situations be caught in inappropriate sexual situations. The behavior of people online is a big point for the security of our children online. Petafiles and sexual predators exist all over the country and they use the internet as a way of reaching out to young people all over the country. As a result many police departments and authorities are taking measures to police people online and keep them from preying on young children. Despite the fact that this problem has been brought to the media forefront in the last several years, people still go online and look to sexually solicit kids online.
Just last week Homeland security official Brian J. Doyle was arrested for sexually soliciting a minor online. However, the minor just happened to be a Sheriff from Polk County Florida, who identified herself as a 14 year old girl online. Mr. Doyle was arrested and suspended indefinitely from his position with Homeland Security. What is most surprising in this situation is that he gave his personal information out during the conversation in question. He sent one nonsexual photo of himself in the Homeland Security headquarters, where he was wearing a pin that said “TSA” or Transportation Security Administration, the department Mr. Doyle previously worked for. To send a fourteen year old girl evidence that you are in an important government position doesn’t show good common sense when trying to commit illegal behaviors. By holding a position in this administration, we would think that Mr. Doyle would be fully aware of the policing that are going on online these days and how police are trapping and catching petafiles all the time. Homeland Security also oversees an Operation Predator unit, which specifically investigates child predators and pornographers. With all of these things being perfectly obvious to Mr. Doyle, he still took his chances in doing something he knew would get him in trouble.
In another case, we a similar situation occurring at a local level, however this did not involve the use of the internet. Malcolm M. Watson, a teacher at an all girls school named Buffalo Seminary Academy in
Buffalo, was recently arrested after being found in the same car with one of his 15 year-old students. This story begins in February of this year, as the two were often seen together and aroused suspicion. After Watson was told to stay away from her, the two were still seen talking together in school. As a result he was suspended for two weeks. After stern warnings not to go near the girl again, the two stopped seeing each other, until last week. The two were found in Watson’s car together at the Walden Galleria Mall parking ramp in Cheektowaga, New York. Authorities arrested Watson and he was immediately fired from his position at the school. Despite the firing many have recently spoken out against the schools administration for how they handled and somewhat ignored the situation and the safety of the young girl. However, what all can agree on was that Mr. Watson was a great teacher. "He's the best teacher my kids ever had," one parent said, "absolutely the brightest.” (Buffalo News)
In looking at both of these situations we see men in power taking chances with their careers and lives. What would provoke these men to get into situations such as these that they each knew would end badly for them. Buffalo Seminary is an extremely small school with an all female student body. To be a male teacher at a school like this, one would have to display an image of doing right and being respectful. Though Mr. Watson may have been a great teacher, he still continued to try to see this girl despite warnings not to and the previous suspension. Despite the obvious risks he still wanted to see this girl. Brian Doyle was part of an organization whose main concern is making the United States a safe place to live. They even have their own task force set up to investigate sexual predators online. Despite being involved in this organization, Mr. Doyle still went online and tried to involve himself with a young girl. He was aware of the girl’s age and what was going on. Why do people in these positions still take chances with their reputations, lives and careers?
Were these two gentlemen so sexually frustrated or in such need of the attachment of a girl that they would do something both knew wasn’t right? They each took a chance because they were in need of some kind of sexual release or gratification. The fact that neither was engaged in sexual activity with either girl doesn’t take away from the reasons they did what they did. These people held positions of power and gave it away by making stupid mistakes. While we don’t know if Mr. Watson had sexual intentions, we can still recognize that what he did was inappropriate and the wrong thing for a teacher to do. For a man so well liked and respected, he should have exercised more responsibility for his actions. Whether or not he thought what he was doing was wrong did not matter in this case.
Mr. Doyle did not come anywhere near the “girl” he spoke to online yet he will now be deemed a dirty predator for the rest of his life. The impact of the internet on the way we police sexuality in this country is profound. We created the internet, a network originally based on big business and pornography. Now today we must protect our families from the evils of the internet. The growth in the way computers act as a tool of communication has coincided with the way we must regulate and protect people online.
The more we hear about people like Brian Doyle and Malcolm M. Watson, the more people will become aware of the consequences to deviant behavior in this day and age. We have become a nation built on wholesomeness and family safety. However, in the case of these two men, it is good to reassured that this is a nationally recognized issue. The more exposure arrests like this get, the more it thwarts those from similar actions.
