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Buckeye Principal Escapes Prosecution for Allegedly Sending Explicit Texts to Undercover Officer Posing as Underage Girl

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Buckeye principal accused of sending explicit texts to undercover officer he allegedly thought was an underage girl won't be prosecuted


BUCKEYE, Ariz. — The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced it would not prosecute a case against Joe Kinney, a principal from Buckeye Union High School, who faced allegations of enticing a minor. The decision came due to a “no reasonable likelihood of conviction,” according to officials.

Kinney, who had been placed on administrative leave earlier this month, was accused of exchanging sexually explicit messages with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. In reality, those messages were exchanged with an undercover officer.

According to court documents, Kinney reportedly solicited nude photos and made inappropriate requests, despite being reminded by the undercover agent of the supposed age of the girl. He later claimed to investigators that he thought the conversations were simply a form of “role-playing” and insisted he does not have an attraction to children.

On Monday, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office clarified its rationale for not pursuing the case. They emphasized the legal requirements for proving intent, which include establishing that Kinney knew he was communicating with a minor. Since there was no actual minor involved, but rather an undercover officer, they deemed it challenging to substantiate the charges.

Furthermore, while the crime of luring can occur in conversations with undercover officers, prosecutors need to demonstrate that the suspect believed they were engaging with a minor. The evidence presented in this case was insufficient to establish that intent. In addition, despite the undercover officer providing a photo purporting to show her as a minor, it did not adequately prove age.

Investigators noted that the lack of actionable evidence to support Kinney’s alleged intention to engage in sexual conduct with a minor further complicated the case. There was no indication that investigative norms were followed to substantiate such claims.

This story is still developing, and more updates will be provided as additional details become available.

Editor’s Note: Initial reports stating charges had been dropped have been clarified; Kinney was arrested but was never formally charged.