WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia (USADC) announced Tuesday that the head of a preschool in Washington, D.C. was arrested on federal charges.
According to officials, 55-year-old James Carroll, who is the head of the National Child Research Center (NCRC) in Northwest, was charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the criminal complaint filed in court, between Nov. 5 and Nov. 14, Carroll used the Discord messaging application to communicate with an undercover officer, who posed as the father of a young child. During this time, officials said Carroll directed the undercover officer to sexually abuse his child.
The Attorney’s Office said agents identified Carroll as the Discord user through the IP address which agents traced back to his home and workplace.
In a statement sent to DC News Now, the NCRC said when they learned about Carroll’s arrest, he was placed on administrative leave. School officials said they do not believe his conduct involved any student or family and are cooperating with authorities in the FBI’s investigation.
Mr. Carroll has been instructed that he is not permitted to return to campus for any reason and is not to contact any member of the NCRC community. His access to his email, the school’s networks, and all school owned technology has been cut off. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and will continue to do so. We are committed to having school continue as normal and avoid disruption to the learning of the students that we serve. We ask that you take care when discussing this matter with others as adult conversations may not be appropriate for children to hear.
Like you, my Board colleagues and I are shocked and deeply unsettled by this news. We have no more serious responsibility than providing a safe environment for our children and families, and Mr. Carroll’s reported conduct – if true – represents a grave betrayal of your trust and ours. We are committed to fostering a safe learning community for each of our students, and we expect each employee to embody these values in and out of the workplace.
We have much to learn in the hours and days ahead, and we promise to share more as soon as we have additional information to share. In difficult moments such as these, we draw on the strength of our community and our shared drive toward fulfilling our mission. We remain, as always, deeply grateful for your trust and partnership.
said NCRC, in part.
School officials said the Associate Head of School Francesca Gallozzi will serve as the Acting Head of School, effective immediately.
The case is under investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
