The director of a Washington, D.C., preschool is currently facing federal charges for allegedly instructing an undercover agent posing as the father to “abuse a child,” according to the Department of Justice.
James Carroll, the principal of the National Child Research Center (NCRC), which charges up to $42,000 a year in tuition for children ages 2 to 5, was taken into custody on Tuesday. He was charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in a case being investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, federal officials said.
“According to the criminal complaint, between November 5, 2024 and November 14, 2024, Carroll used the Discord messaging application to communicate with an undercover agent posing as the father of a young child.” thing. Ministry of Justice said in a statement. “Carol directed an undercover agent to abuse a child over a period of approximately two weeks.Law enforcement officers identified Carol as a Discord user based on an IP address traced to both Carol's residence and work. ”
Federal authorities began investigating Carroll after a Discord employee reported suspected child sexual abuse files uploaded to the messaging app's servers on September 11, Fox5 DC reported. . Investigators later determined that the content came from an account associated with Carroll, the agency added.
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National Center for Child Research in Washington, DC, directed by James Carroll. (Google Maps)
Fox5 DC reported that during a conversation with an undercover officer, Carroll asked the officer if he had any new photos as they discussed the sexual abuse.
of The department also cited the affidavit. Carroll said he stated he was interested in “boy photography,” favoring 8- to 12-year-olds.
Carroll, who appeared in federal court for the first time on Tuesday, is currently on administrative leave from the school, according to a letter sent to parents by NCRC President Megan Ortiz.
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The Department of Justice announced that James Carroll made his first court appearance on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“While we have no reason to believe that Mr. Carroll's actions involved any NCRC students or family members, we do know that his arrest and indictment follow an FBI investigation into Mr. Carroll's online activity on social media channels and message boards. I understand,” Ortiz said in the letter. It was. Retrieved by Fox5 DC.
“Mr. Carroll will not be permitted to return to campus for any reason and has been instructed not to have any contact with members of the NCRC community. His email, school network, and school-owned Access to all technology has been cut off,'' the letter reportedly added. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities and will continue to do so.”
Federal prosecutors said that before his arrest, James Carroll “used the Discord messaging application to communicate with an undercover agent posing as the father of a young child.” (Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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The school did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
