Documents Reveal Alleged Month-Long Negotiation for Sexual Encounter with Teen

Court documents reveal that charges filed against Windsor Board of Education member Chris Watts represent the culmination of a month-long police investigation into an alleged negotation between Watts and an undercover agent to secure a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl.

Watts was taken into custody in Kissimmee, FL, an Orlando suburb, on March 29, but his contact with the arresting officer — a Special Victims Unit agent posing as a father offering a sexual liaison with his underage daughter in an Internet chat room — began on March 5, a criminal complaint filed in Orlando says.

According to the complaint, Watts sent a private message to the undercover officer after the agent typed "dad has daughter" into the main conversation of chat rooms labeled "incest" and "jailbait" on Motherless.com.

Watts, using the screen name "luvpervymoms," reached out to the undercover agent, asking him for his location in Florida.

He allegedly said he had to travel to the state in the coming weeks, and requested information about the daughter mentioned in the chat room.

Watts then wrote, "so you share you[r] daughter" and asked the daughter's age, the criminal complaint says.

When told the girl was 14 years old, Watts replied, "nice well as I said I gotta go down there for a couple of days to find a new truck that hasn't been killed by road salt… Love to get into some fun while there."

At this point, Watts allegedly engaged in a negotiation, spanning 24 days, to secure a meeting point, learn information about the girl, and schedule time to buy his truck and meet the girl and her father.

The March 5 conversation between Watts and the agent continued with the exchange of photographs requested by both parties.

The agent sent Watts two photographs from undercover profiles, according to the criminal complaint.

Watts, the complaint says, sent the officer two photographs as well: one of himself in a blue flannel shirt, and another of his genitals.

The agent also asked Watts if he had ever had sexual contact with children, according to the complaint. The agent asked Watts if he had been with someone 14 years old, to which Watts replied, "no that's why it's a big fantasy for me."

In response, the agent told Watts having a sexual encounter with someone that age "might ruin you [laugh out loud]." Watts responded, "haha I'm willing to take the risk," court documents say.

According to the criminal complaint, Watts showed signs of anxiety over the scheduled sexual encounter the very next day, telling the agent that "he was a little nervous" and stated he did not want to end up like Chris Hanson of To Catch a Predator."

Between March 9 and 22, communication between the undercover agent and Watts was sporadic, and mostly concerned Watts' request for a photograph featuring who he was led to believe was a father beside his 14-year-old daughter holding a sign that said "Hi Chris."

Watts requested the photograph, saying that it would ease his nerves, and allegedly added, "you know this whole thing is risky and all."

Upon receiving the photograph, Watts thanked him for the picture, saying, "calms my nerves quite a bit. I believe you now!"

During this time period, agents say they sent a summons to Yahoo!, Comcast Communications and T-Mobile.

The summons sent to Yahoo! enabled agents to retrieve Watts' IP address and do an Internet search of the telephone number he used to communicate with the undercover agent, and they found it to be the telephone registered with Precision Marketing, LLC, of which Watts is the president.

Court documents detail no communication between Watts and the undercover agent between March 22 and March 28.

On March 28, Watts was observed by Homeland Security Investigations Agents boarding his flight at Bradley, then followed him from Orlando International Airport to his hotel room.

The next day, he received a call from the undercover agent, who asked if he was okay because he had not heard from him.

According to the criminal complaint, Watts said "I'm fine, I gotta go."
Four hours later, Watts was confronted by agents at his hotel room and taken into custody.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office says he was transported to the Orange County Jail just before midnight.

In the morning, Watts saw a judge, who ordered him to remain in custody without bond. At the same time, federal agents, with the help of the Windsor Police Department, executed a search warrant at his Palisado Avenue home.

According to the Justice Department, information concerning the search warrant is currently sealed.