The largest school district in VA is under fire after word spread that an arrested sex offender remained employed and on the grounds of the school for more than 20 months after his arrest.
Darren Thornton, 50, a counselor employed by Fairfax County Public Schools, managed to retain his job for over a year and a half despite being arrested for solicitation of a prostitute from a minor in November of 2020.
Court documents show that Thornton engaged in an online chat with an undercover police officer whom he believed was a 17-year-old female. The conversation led to an arranged meeting between the pair at which team Thornton thought the two would engage in sexual acts. He was met at the apartment by Chesterfield County Police and consequently arrested. He was convicted on March 11, 2021, and sentenced to five years. The court suspended the sentence for” good behavior, following the law, and paying court costs.”
Per procedure, law enforcement was required to notify the Fairfax County Public Schools and did so by email. According to police, the emails were sent to an invalid email address and bounced. Police told Washington, DC station WTOP that the department sent three emails in November 2020 to two different email addresses for then-Superintendent Scott Braband that they said were provided to a police staff member from someone in the school system’s office.
Karen Leonard, the records administrator for the Chesterfield Police Department, said in an email Monday that the department conducted “further investigation” and learned the emails, in fact, were returned to the department as undeliverable. Copies of the emails obtained by WTOP through the freedom of information act show that the message was sent to three incorrect email addresses.
Thornton remained employed as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School until he was arrested again in June of 2022 after engaging in an online chat and showing up for expected sexual activities. This time the charges were solicitation of prostitution and “residing in a bawdy place”.
There remain many questions being asked by parents, school officials, and local law enforcement. Investigations are underway by the Fairfax Public County Public Schools and local law enforcement. Part of the reason Thornton remained employed is that when he registered as a sex offender, as required by law after his first offense, he reported that he was self-employed. Charges of improperly registering as a sex offender were added to the most recent charge.
Chesterfield County Police do not know why and couldn’t respond as to why there wasn’t any follow-through after the emails bounced and were returned to them as undeliverable.
