SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — An East Valley special education employee was arrested last week after he allegedly planned to meet up with at 13-year-old girl who turned out to be an undercover police officer.
Sgt. Andrew Parrott with the Scottsdale Police's Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit, said 45-year-old Jason Imhoff of Gilbert was one of six arrests made in a special three-day operation tracking adults who targeted minors for sex.
"[Imhoff] had made arrangements online, using a chat application to meet a 13-year-old child female," Parrott said. "He ended up bringing alcohol, and he brought drugs with him as well, and had talked about how they were going to engage in sexual conduct and then also engage in drug use and alcohol consumption."
Court records show Imhoff faces charges of:
- Child sex trafficking with a minor
- Aggravated luring minor sexual exploitation
- Sexual conduct with a minor
- Sexual exploitation of a minor
- Narcotic drug possession
Court records state Imhoff messaged the undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl to meet him at an abandoned business near her apartment complex so he could pick her up. The text communications included the suspect allegedly sending the undercover agent a picture of a man's genitals.
Court records also state that police found alcohol and cocaine in Imhoff's car and the suspect allegedly admitted the substances belonged to him.
The suspect told investigators he worked with special needs children at a private school, records show.
12News reached out to Imhoff's employer, The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students, who shared the following statement:
“Upon learning of this situation from the Scottsdale Police Department, the Austin Centers immediately separated employment with the individual in question. Law enforcement confirmed that the alleged crimes were not connected with The Austin Centers or our students in any way. All individuals employed by the Austin Centers are required to pass a comprehensive federal, state, and local criminal background check and maintain a current Arizona IVP fingerprint clearance card. As we have done so over the last 30 years, The Austin Centers will continue to place the welfare and safety of our students as our highest priority.”
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