Michigan - School employee faces sex charges
Sheriff's deputies posing as a 14-year old on the Internet said man offered cell phone for sex.
From The Detroit News online Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News
A 37-year-old Dearborn Public Schools employee is expected to be arraigned today on felony charges that accuse him of trying to set up a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old boy in exchange for a cellular phone.
The "boy" was actually a member of the Wayne County Sheriff's Internet Crime Unit, police said. Deputies arrested the man Wednesday afternoon in a city just outside Detroit.
Steven Lysogorski is scheduled for arraignment in Hamtramck District Court on one count each of arranging for child sexually abusive activity and using the Internet to commit a crime, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans said Lysogorski made contact with the "boy" five times in the last week. Lysogorski's plan was to have sex with the boy in his Toyota Camry at the time of his arrest, Evans said.
"It's very disheartening to see someone who has one of the most sacred trusts possible, the supervision of children, allegedly violate that trust by engaging in this type of behavior," Evans said.
Lysogorski worked in middle schools in the Dearborn Public Schools district for about 15 years, Evans said. He supervises middle school students who receive detention and works with at-risk students, Evans said
"I am certainly interested now in his past history," Evans said.
Lysogorski also works for Major League Baseball as an official scorer for Detroit Tigers games, WXYZ-TV reported. The suspect, who is not married or a parent, has no criminal record.
Dearborn school district officials declined comment until they receive confirmation of the suspect's identity from law enforcement officials.
Evans said his Internet Crime Unit deputies talk with 200-300 sexual predators monthly and that catching one is never an easy task.
"The problem is significant," he said. "Kids are always vulnerable."
The arrest comes as Attorney General Mike Cox turned over to law enforcement the names of 200 sex offenders who have pages on the popular online site www.MySpace.com.
Retrieved June 23, 2007 from http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070622/METRO01/706220370/1006