Palm Beach Co. elementary teacher arrested for planning to meet minor for sex скачать в хорошем качестве

Palm Beach Co. elementary teacher arrested for planning to meet minor for sex

LAKE WORTH, Fla. (CBS12) — Less than two weeks before the start of the school year, a Palm Beach County School District teacher is accused of traveling to meet a minor for sex in Delray Beach. According to district documents obtained by CBS12 News, Joshua Hablo, 34, of Hypoluxo, was a fourth-grade language arts teacher at Barton Elementary. According to the Delray Beach Police Department (DBPD), officers responded to a Walmart located at 16205 South Military Trail after being advised that a predator was going to meet a 14-year-old boy named Justin for sex there. Upon arrival, they found Hablo with Dustin Lampros, a man from 561 Predator Catchers, an organization that strives to combat pedophilia. Lampros said his organization works with People vs. Predators. People vs. Predators created a fake profile of a 14-year-old boy named Justin to pose as a decoy online. Once the decoy account attracted Hablo, People vs. Predators reached out to Lampros with a meeting location and time. Lampros then met up with Hablo inside the store. Lampros brought a videographer to document the meet-up. According to footage on a DBPD body camera, Hablo admitted to driving from his home in Hypoluxo to Walmart to meet a 14-year-old boy named Justin. He also stated he planned to meet Justin and go back to Justin’s house to have sex. “The danger is real out there. It's extremely real to all our children, every child is online,” said Sergeant Thomas McInerney, head of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). Sgt. McInerney says his team see cases like this all the time. “Our youth today are used to having relationships that people have never met in real life. They're used to having full relationships with somebody online that they've never seen. And unfortunately, these guys take advantage of that,” said McInerney. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children director Callahan Walsh says they receive tips regarding alleged predators like Hablo daily. “Parents have to understand that these dangers exist, we're seeing alarming numbers come into the national center each year, by the millions, we're receiving more and more tips,” said Walsh. According to Walsh, it’s not unusual for predators to get jobs at schools. “Those who want to harm children will oftentimes put themselves in a position to be around children and have access to them,” said Walsh. “It's unfortunate when these types of members of the community are found out to be harming children because they're the ones where we put the most trust in.” In an email sent to Barton Elementary School's parents and staff, the school administration stated that Hablo is no longer employed with the district. The administration also stated they believe this was an isolated incident, but if anyone has additional information, they are asked to contact police at (561) 434-8700. Hablo's bond was set at $20,000. According to Palm Beach County Jail records, he posted bond and was released on Friday. His next appearance is set for August 29, 2024. _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: WPEC on Facebook:   / cbs12news   WPEC on Twitter:   / cbs12   Subscribe to WPEC on YouTube:    / @cbs12newswpec   WPEC Daily News Digest:    • Плейлист   For more information, visit https://cbs12.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: newstips@cbs12.com Call the Newsroom: 561.844.1212 WPEC is a FL based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #CBS12NEWS #WPEC #WestPalmBeach #SouthFlorida