Former Seattle assistant principal among 7 men arrested for sex crimes
RENTON, Wash. - The Renton Police Department arrested seven men during a recent undercover operation to catch those willing to pay for sex with children.
Renton police on Wednesday released bodycam video of the operation, stating that they only identified suspects who have already been charged.
Three of the cases were referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Joseph Haufle was charged with attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor, third-degree attempted rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Haufle pleaded not guilty to all counts and remains in King County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Thang Khai was charged with attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $75,000, but the first appearance court set bail at $5,000, so it could not be changed.
David A. Scott was charged with two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. The first appearance court set bail at $40,000 which again could not be reargued under court rules.
Prosecuting attorneys in the city of Renton charged a former assistant principal, Alexander Díaz Rios, with patronizing a prostitute. Díaz Rios was listed as a former assistant principal with Seattle Public Schools at TOPS K-8.
Seatle Public Schools released a statement Wednesday:
"Seattle Public Schools (SPS) entered into a separation agreement this month with Alex Diaz Rios who was charged with prostitution. Upon learning of the charges, SPS acted swiftly to place the individual on leave on Wednesday, Nov. 13. He has resigned and will not be returning to SPS.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, a law firm hired by SPS made a public records request to the City of Renton for documents to learn more about the prostitution charge, but at no time prior to today was the district made aware that the charge may have involved a minor.
SPS contacted the Office of Professional Practices last week and will be making a formal referral for the state to review Diaz Rios’ professional licensure. The district’s top priority is the safety and well-being of students, and SPS will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure a safe learning environment for all."
The Renton Police Department released video of a recent child sex-trafficking operation that netted seven arrests. (Renton Police Department)
According to police, an estimated 300 children are being trafficked in King County at any given time.
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