An Arlington elementary school principal was arrested on Tuesday in Boynton Beach, Fla., on charges of soliciting sex from an undercover officer posing as a teenage boy online. WFAA reports that Stephen A. Paulsen, 54, resigned as principal of Morton Elementary School the next day.
Under the screen name “Tony Texas,” Paulsen is accused of exchanging messages with the officer online over several days. He's being held in the Palm Beach County Jail on three charges: two for "obscene communication" and one for "cruelty to a child."
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paulsen thought the officer was barely 16. In their online chat, Paulsen made sexually explicit comments and sent pornographic images of other men to the officer. After making arrangements to meet up, Paulsen drove to what he thought was the teen’s home on Tuesday, where he was arrested by police.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports Paulsen is being held without bail in Palm Beach County Jail. The Star-Telegram also reports that all mentions of Paulsen working at Morton Elementary have been removed from the Arlington school district website. And here's the latest from The Dallas Morning News.