ypsilanti man charged with being pedophile predator

A high school English teacher in the Plymouth-Canton school system, was taken into custody yesterday and arraigned on two child-sex felony counts. According to prosecutors, he propositioned an officer posing as a 14 year old girl online, and asked the agent to “watch a sexually explicit act.” No detail is given about the act, but as police reports reference a “web camera” being taken from his Ypsilanti home, one suspects that the act, whatever it was, was done by him. Letters have been sent out to the parents of kids who had him as a teacher, and the authorities are asking everyone to check their children’s “Buddy Lists” for the screen name “Oxy69.” Those who suspect the 27 year old has interacted with their children online, or in person, are asked to contact the Attorney General’s office at 313-456-0180. His real name is all over the press, but, as people (unless I missed a memo) are still presumed innocent under our legal system, I didn’t feel comfortable posting the details here.

Word is he’s married and has a very young child. One can only imagine how difficult this is going to be for them. (I suppose we should just be happy for them that his arrest wasn’t broadcast as entertainment as part of NBC’s vile “To Catch a Predator” series.)

A spokesman for the school district says, “he won’t be in the classroom until this is straightened out, and he will not be if he’s convicted.” I found it odd that they felt it necessary to spell it out that, if he’s found guilty of soliciting sex from a minor, he won’t be allowed to keep teaching there. And, it’s nice that they’re indicating that, if nothing comes of this, he’ll be welcomed back, but I can’t imagine that someone could possibly return to work after being so publicly accused of something so horrible.

[note: I only find evidence of one Oxy69 on MySpace, but I don’t see anything to indicate it’s him.]

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4 Comments

  1. edweird
    Posted February 24, 2007 at 4:47 pm | Permalink

    They asked for a buddy lists. That means he’s using AOL’s Instant Messenger or something like it.

    The thing that really frightens me here is the idea that the school will make some rule that you can’t instant message with kids. I’m guilty of that. I’ve rescued more than one stressed out teenager over AIM late in the evening after a serious fight with a parent. I still keep in touch with some of these kids this way, long after they’ve graduated. The problem is administrators and parents have likely never used the technology and only see the possible harm in it. They tend to freakout too easily.

    On the other hand, if this guy was soliciting 14 years he needs his nuts caught in a vice.

  2. Kate
    Posted February 24, 2007 at 5:21 pm | Permalink

    I think the news reports said the username was oxyd69, Mark. That D may make all the difference.

  3. mark
    Posted February 24, 2007 at 7:35 pm | Permalink

    I see it mentioned as “oxyd69” in one story, and “oxy69” in another, Kate. Neither of them yields much information though. But, if it was just used for instant messaging, it probably wouldn’t show up in a standard Google search.

    And it does suck, EdWeird, that teachers are being forced, because of circumstances like these, to distance themselves even more from their students. I’m sure that kids, on average, are worse off for it.

  4. ellen
    Posted March 27, 2008 at 3:43 pm | Permalink

    plain and simple, this sucks. i was a student of his when he taught at shrine high school in royal oak. he was the best teacher i ever had. someone i looked up to who shaped my education in a way that still affects me. everyone i know who had him as a teacher can not believe that it’s true. and i hope it’s not.

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