King County expert urges parents to talk to children amid teacher abuse allegations

It has been an unsettling couple of days for parents in Western Washington as news reports revealed three men in positions to protect kids in schools are allegedly involved in sex crimes against children.

On Wednesday, we learned former Assistant Principal at Seattle’s TOPS K-8 school Alex Díaz Rios, 29, was caught in an undercover child sex trafficking operation in Renton. Although, he’s only charged with the gross misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution.

Also Wednesday, we learned a teacher in Redmond’s Northshore School District, John Butz, 61, was caught in a multi-agency sting operation with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.

On Thursday, we learned a 37-year-old man was arrested on November 6 by Lake Stevens police following allegations of child rape. The allegations are unrelated to his job as assistant principal at Centennial Middle School in Snohomish.

KIRO Newsradio reached out to a King County expert to learn what parents should look out for.

“This is largely a crime that is committed by men,” Laura Harmon with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s Sexual Assault Unit told KIRO Newsradio Thursday. “There’s always going to be men in any industry, but of course, we know that people who have these sexualized (interests) in minors typically want to put themselves in positions to have that access.”

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King County expert: Parents should have open conversations with kids

Parents are understandably concerned about their children’s safety. Experts said open communication is key to protecting them.

“It’s always important to emphasize that parents have open and honest conversations with their kids so that the kids understand these individuals are out there, that they would prey upon and have sexualized interest in children,” Harmon said.

But how do men get to the point of sexually abusing children?

“I don’t think there’s clear science one way or the other about how this forms and how solid it is in terms of being ingrained to one’s person,” Harmon said. “It can be the result of some kind of childhood trauma.”

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What is clear is how they often escalate.

“Typically they dip their toe in the water,” Harmon explained. “They’ll have that inclination or the thought or the sexual attraction and maybe they’ll do something subtle like take a picture of a kid at a park fully clothed because it was interesting to them or maybe they’ll google for pre-teen pornography, whatever that first step is and then there will be some guilt, some shame for having enjoyed that and then they’ll go back and stick more of their foot in the water and that progress of continuing to offend in worse and worse ways and kind of lowering their shame wall, having a lower tolerance for what makes them feel shame or guilt, is what ultimately leads to the more sophisticated and manipulating and grooming behavior that you may see ultimately come out in a sexual assault or a rape case.”

Harmon said parents have to be ever vigilant and employers, particularly school districts, need to vet as thoroughly as possible. But even that is no guarantee. Schools, like any other industry, are microcosms of the society in which we live.

James Lynch is a reporter at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of James’ stories here. Follow James on X, or email him here.

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