Judge Orders Former Principal Accused Of Child Exploitation To Stay In Custody
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - New details emerged in federal court Thursday about a former North Texas elementary school principal accused of trying to meet up with an underage boy for sex.
Investigators say Figueroa used a Craigslist ad to lure what he thought was a 16-year-old boy to the AMC theaters at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco. It was actually an undercover officer, and a federal agent testified that Figueroa was so aggressive that unless he stays locked up, he's a threat to the community.
Family members of Oscar Figueroa didn't want to talk to reporters after the hearing was over, but inside the courtroom, Antonio Barrientos offered to monitor his son-in-law, if a judge would let him stay at his Dallas home while he awaits trial. The judge refused, saying even without internet access, he couldn't be sure Figueroa wouldn't threaten children. The judge even said he doubts this was an isolated incident.
"It's kind of a scary combination: a child sex issue and a principal. However, obviously with all the media attention, we'd assume if there were any other victims, we would have heard by now," Figueroa attorney Katherine Reed said.
The prosecution also warned that Figueroa is a flight risk who told detectives he had a brother in Mexico. That brother, Guillermo Torres Figueroa testified that he actually lives in Texas but spends time in Mexico specifically to refurbish a home for his brothers and sisters when they visit the country.
"We were hopeful because Mr. Figueroa is obviously a very exceptional person. He has a great history, no issues in the past. This, we're hoping to prove would be an isolated incident if it did in fact occur the way they allege," Reed said.
Defense attorneys will have an opportunity to try to prove this was an isolated incident for another shot at having Figueroa released. However, investigators say Figueroa admitted his Craigslist ad was not his first, and federal agents have found photos and videos on Figueroa's cell phone they say could be of underage boys.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)