According to WNEP online, a Pennsylvania music teacher was arrested and accused of sexual molestation of a teenage boy.

The teacher led the band and taught music at Nativity BVM high school in Pottsville, Pa. Dale S.—the 71-year-old teacher—admitted to having sex with the 13 year old boy, but says that he was convinced the child was at least 30 rather than his actual age at the time. Dale did not meet the teen through his job, but made contact through the internet.

According to police, Dale reportedly indicated that he found his victim—whom he claims he thought was an adult—through an online dating site. The interaction started with him sending the teen pictures of himself naked. He flattered the boy by telling him he looked “cute and younger,” police said.

Police say that on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, Dale had a date with the teenager. They allegedly wound up back at the Dale’s house, where police say the purported sexual molestation happened.

The music teacher was arrested after the boy reported the sexual molestation to this mother the next day. Dale reportedly remains behind bars and has been suspended without pay from his position at the school which refused to comment on the situation. His bail is reportedly set at $100,000.

Sexual Molestation Via Internet Statistics

The teenager’s profile from this case was available on Grindr, a popular same-sex dating website and phone app, which allegedly only allows profiles of people 18 plus to be posted, according to WNEP. The incident raises questions as to whether Grindr’s controls were adequate and whether the internet at large is too dangerous for young people.

According to advocacy site Internet Safety 101, statistics indicate that sexual molestation happens in the vast majority of cases from family members or trusted adults that are close to the family of the child involved. The actual breakdown is 30 to 40 percent of victims are so at the hands of family members and 50 percent are so at the hands of trusted adults. So where does this leave us when we look at the purported dangers of the internet?

Keeping in mind that 10 to 20 percent of victims are reached using the internet, greater care must be taken in screening adults with which children come into contact.

While not all perpetrators meet the criteria for being diagnosed as pedophiles, Psychology Today reiterates that an adult with sexual deviance may not look any different from healthy adults and thus are not easily identifiable.

That said, the internet must not be discounted as a threat either. Pedophiles have access to view child pornography in an unprecedented way, according to Internet Safety, allowing predators who would act out within the family and in close relationship to another to stir up their drives. They can also post their exploits and, using the anonymous shield of the computer screen, look for easy victims.

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