Buckeye CEO accused of luring will not be prosecuted

PHOENIX – Prosecutors said Monday they will not file charges against a former Buckeye high school principal who was arrested last week for allegedly luring a minor.

The case was dismissed because there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) said in a statement.

Joe Kinney, 42, was principal of Buckeye Union High School when he was jailed for luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

“The crime of luring requires proof that the defendant knew or should have known that the person with whom he was communicating was a minor (under the age of 18). In this case, there was no actual minor; the communication was with an undercover officer,” according to MCAO.

According to MCAO, luring can occur if the “victim” is an undercover police officer, but there must be evidence that the suspect believed he or she was communicating with a minor.

“Based on the available evidence in this case, the State cannot prove that the defendant intended to solicit a minor for sexual exploitation,” the agency said.

Buckeye CEO loses job after arrest

The Buckeye Union High School District placed Kinney on administrative leave following the arrest. The district’s board of trustees approved his resignation during its meeting Monday night, ABC15 reported.

The case originated with the FBI and was turned over to the Phoenix Police Department.

The arrest report details how on July 22, the Buckeye principal had sexually explicit communications with an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old girl through Whisper, a social media app.

Detectives have issued subpoenas to Whisper, Cox Communications and Verizon Wireless seeking to identify Kinney as the person who exchanged messages with the undercover agent.

What did the Buckeye director tell the police?

Police took Kinney into custody during a traffic stop on Sept. 3 and took him to his home in Goodyear. He was then questioned in a Phoenix Police Department mobile command vehicle before being booked into jail.

“Joseph admitted that he had spoken to multiple women on Whisper who claimed to be minors. Joseph stated that he never really believed that they were minors and that he assumed that they were all adults and were just having fantasy chats and role playing,” the arrest report said.

During the interview, Kinney denied that he was sexually attracted to children.

“Joseph stated he feels stupid and ashamed of his decisions,” the arrest report said.

Follow @kstonezone