Beaufort County Schools administrator charged with criminal solicitation of a minor
An administrator with the Beaufort County School District was accused Wednesday of sending sexually explicit messages to minors in a multi-agency sting targeting online predators, according to a Beaufort Police Department news release.
Daniel Fallon, 41, of Beaufort, was charged with three counts of criminal solicitation of a minor. He is the school district’s Director of Accountability.
Fallon was charged as part of “Operation Rock the Boat,” a sting operation that began in March involving local police agencies and the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force that has resulted in at least 15 arrests. In the sting, undercover officers posed as minors online where adults engaged them in sexually explicit conversations.
Police accused Fallon of sending sexually explicit messages via social media to the undercover cops who he believed were underage in March, said Lt. Charles Raley with the Beaufort Police Department.
Fallon, who has worked with the school district for 19 years, is on paid administrative leave as of Wednesday, said Candace Bruder, a spokesperson for the school district. She declined a request for comment from the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette, citing school district policy that prevents her from commenting on an active law enforcement investigation.
But she said his office is not at a school building, and his role doesn’t require him to interact with children. As director of accountability, Fallon collected and analyzed data for the district.
Fallon’s profile page, which details his background and education, no longer was on the school district website, as of Wednesday.
Police were able to identify Fallon in the last several weeks, Raley said. Fallon was using several online personas.
Following his arrest Wednesday, police served search warrants on his car and home, department officials said in the news release. Electronics like a cellphone, discs, thumb drives and laptops were taken from Fallon’s car and home, Raley said.
Criminal solicitation of a minor is a felony in South Carolina and, if convicted, Fallon could face up to 10 years in prison per charge. Fallon’s case will be prosecuted.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Fallon was in custody at the detention center in Beaufort.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, support can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons’ 24-hour Support Line at 843-770-1070.
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