BIG Whoopsy

Darrel Wayne Futch, 32, of Summerville, South Carolina has been busted on charges of criminal solicitation of a minor as the result of an internet sting conducted by the Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Department.

It is alleged that Futch during chat room communications over a period of 8 months was soliciting sex from a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. The “girl” was in reality an undercover Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Authorities executed a search warrant on Futch’s resident on October 5th, seizing a desktop computer, a web camera, a cell phone, and other computer related items.

If convicted Futch faces up to 10 years in prison.

Reference:

Undercover Sting Reveals Local Child Predator (10/08/07)

Norman Reed, 40, of Lynn, Massachusetts was busted after he flew to Lansing, Michigan allegedly to have sex with what he believed was a 30-year-old woman, her 12-year-old daughter, her 10-year-old son, and her 3-year-old daughter.

When Reed flew into the Capital City Airport last Tuesday he was immediately arrested by Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputies, the department conducting the internet sting.

Reed was arraigned on Friday and charged with one count of child sex abuse material, and two counts of using a computer to commit child sexually abusive activity and was held on a $100,000 bond.

Reed lives in Lynn, MA with a friend and the friend’s mother and has been divorced for more than seven years and according to his ex-wife Reed is addicted to the Internet. The ‘ex’ had the following to say about Reed:

“The stuff with the children, I don’t know. I am not surprised that he hooked up with someone on the Internet. Like I said, when I was married, several times he left several times to go out west to be with people he met on the Internet. Needless to say, that is why my marriage did not last.”

References:

Lynn man snagged in sex sting (10/06/07)

Sex Sting (10/06/07)

Man Nabbed In Alleged Sex Sting (10/05/07)

Scott Waddell, 38, a broadcast journalism and film literature teacher and visual coordinator for the high school band at Boiling Springs High School has reportedly been caught with his pants down in a sex sting conducted by Spartanburg County, South Carolina sheriff’s deputies.

Reportedly Waddell is also a Deacon at the Chesnee First Baptist Church, where Pastor Gary Grogan was quoted as saying, “This is a church that loves one another. He’s a part of our family, and as in all families, when people make mistakes, we try to love them through it. That’s what we’re going to do with him. The Reverend Grogan was not as optimistic about Waddell’s odds of remaining a Deacon however.

Media reports indicate that Waddell was one of five men deputies say they arrested in the sex sting at the park outside Milliken Research Center in Spartanburg, S.C. Waddell was arrested on allegations of indecent exposure. Reportedly the Spartanburg County sheriff’s office indicates the park was targeted because of complaints about homosexual activity here.

Update 10/08/07:

Scott Waddell has resigned from his job with Boiling Springs High School saying, “he didn’t want to further involve his family, friends and co-workers in the fall-out of his recent arrest”.

References:

Boiling Springs High School Teacher Resigns (10/08/07)

Spartanburg County Teacher Charged With Indecent Exposure (10/05/07)

Teacher, Deacon Arrested During Sex Sting (10/06/07)

John David Roy Atchison, 53, the Assistant U.S. Attorney at the center of one of the biggest whoopsies of all times committed suicide today by hanging himself at the federal prison in Milan, Michigan.

Atchison was taken to Milan after trying to commit suicide last month at Sanilac County Jail.

At the time of his suicide Atchison was being housed in solitary confinement and was supposedly under close supervision.

Reportedly he had shown no signs of despondency.

Atchison’s attorney, James Thomas of Detroit issued a statement saying:

“Our heartfelt regrets go out to his wife and children, his parents and his brothers. This is a man who has done a lot of good in his life. Unfortunately, he is going to be judged by his most recent charges and what we have read in the media, and not by the goodness, hard work or by the love of his family.”

Thomas indicated that he would ask a federal judge to dismiss the charges against Atchison.

Update 10/08/07:

According to the autopsy report John David Roy Atchison died due to asphyxiation from hanging himself using a bed sheet tied to a shower head. Reportedly the feds are unsure whether Atchison was housed in a cell with a shower or was permitted to take bed sheets to a shower outside his cell.

References:

Prosecutor in sex sting hung himself in shower, autopsy shows (10/08/07)

Prosecutor jailed on child sex charges commits suicide (10/05/07)

View All Big Whoopsy Coverage of the Case of: John David Roy Atchison

Brian Lee Flaherty, 38, of Chino Hills, California, a 6 year-veteran Los Angles firefighter, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to flying to Detroit to have sex with a 5-year-old girl.

Flaherty was caught up in the same Macomb County Michigan Sheriff’s Department and FBI Internet sting operation that led to charges last month against John David “Roy” Atchison, a federal prosecutor from Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Flaherty, an LA firefigher and paramedic, who has been in custody since his arrest in February admitted using the Internet to try to entice a minor under 18 to have sex, a charge that carrys a minimum 10-year prison sentence and up to life behind bars.

Flaherty also admitted he sent child pornography over the Internet, a charge with a five-year minimum sentence.

Formal sentencing is set for January 3, 2008.

Reference:

Man admits to trying for sex with 5-year-old (10/02/07)