A north Texas superintendent who was busted for allegedly trying to meet up with a Houston teen for sex will face a judge again on Monday.
Michael Stevens, 47, is charged with online solicitation of a minor. A judge set his bond at $100,000 last week.
The Itasca ISD school board is holding a special meeting on Monday morning to discuss Stevens’ employment status. This post will be updated when a decision is announced.
Itasca, Texas is just south of Fort Worth.
Stevens is accused of sending explicit photos of himself while he was at work. He thought he was talking to a 15-year-old girl, but was actually talking to an undercover detective.
He was arrested last Thursday on the campus of Itasca High School.
The superintendent said he would consider divorcing his wife so he could marry the 15-year-old’s mother to have access to the girl, prosecutors said.
If Stevens posts bond, he must submit to random drug testing, can’t have any contact with anyone under 17 years old, and must install a software on his computer that monitors his activity.
The details revealed in court last week are explicit.
Investigators said the app Stevens used to communicate with the undercover persona is known to preserve user anonymity and allows users to register without a phone number or email address. The name of the app was not revealed.
Contact reportedly began in April and lasted through late May.
During his communication with the undercover persona, Stevens allegedly sent explicit photos, asked for nude videos and images in return, asked inappropriate questions and described explicit scenarios.
According to the Harris County Constable Precinct 1 Office, which arrested Stevens and six other men charged with online solicitation of a minor as part of a sting, some of the communication between the superintendent and the undercover persona happened during regular school and business hours.
Last Thursday, Constable Alan Rosen’s office shared a video on social media of the arrests made in an operational sting.
Stevens would allegedly ask the girl to leave her classroom and go to the bathroom to take inappropriate photos in the stall. It’s also alleged that some of the explicit photos sent were taken in Stevens’ office.
According to Pct. 1, Stevens was aware the girl was 15 years old and it came up in conversation multiple times. He even once allegedly said, “Am I too old for you? So, you’re OK with my age? I’m probably too old for you. I’m 47 years old.”
Stevens allegedly told the undercover persona he wanted to travel to Houston over the summer and get a hotel room so they could meet and engage in sexual acts.
During the course of the investigation, Stevens allegedly joined another app and started talking to another undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old girl.
According to Rosen, Stevens is a former coach, principal, and assistant principal in various districts around the state of Texas.
“He doesn’t have any children, but he’s been around children his whole career. That’s why we really provided mug shots and are really trying to get this story out so we can find out if there are any other victims,” Rosen said.
Following the news of the arrest, Itasca ISD shared the following statement on its website:
On June 1, 2023, the District was contacted by a detective with the Harris County Sherriff’s Department. According to the detective, Superintendent Michael Stevens was taken into custody. Until more facts are confirmed, no further information can be shared. The Board of Trustees will be convening a meeting to review this matter and take appropriate action.
Rosen encourages parents to stay on top of what kids are doing online and asks anyone with information about more crimes connected to the seven suspects to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit: 713-755-7571.
