BOE asks member to resign after sex solicitation allegation

Windsor, Conn. (WTNH) -- There was one empty chair at the Windsor Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, as they voted unanimously to eliminate one of their own.

Christopher Watts was arrested last week for trying to solicit sex from a 14-year-old girl in Florida, but when he got off the plane in Orlando, police met him instead. Watts had been courting an undercover agent online.

If you take a look at the complaint, his screen names were "love pervy moms" and "up4funct38." Both local folks and those around the school system have been asking for his removal.

"I am not aware of any allegations of any of our children coming into contact with anyone in an inappropriate way," said Doreen Richardson, Board of Education President.

Tuesday the board removed him from the Finance Committee and asked him to resign. They have no power to remove him.

They also wanted to reassure parents that he did not have contact with children.

When asked if there was an investigation going on in Connecticut Richardson replied, "I am not aware, with respect to him or any of our children, as far as I know there have been no unsupervised visits with any of our kids."

Police say Watts found the undercover agent in chat rooms called "jailbait" and "incest." Watts has a young daughter and a wife, who was honored last year as Teacher of the Year in Simsbury.

"It's disgusting, it's disgusting," said Carla Mouta. "I have a nine-year-old and I can't even imagine someone trying to email him or anything like that."

"He should be proven guilty before we convict him," one woman said.

Parents at the high school tennis matches were keeping a close eye on their children because if a Board of Education member can allegedly get that graphic with a 14-year-old in Florida, who else is out there targeting kids?

"Beyond it being disgusting, it seemed irresponsible," said Rob Peterson. "He didn't care if anyone found out about it, I'm disappointed and a little disgusted."

In a confessed written statement to police Watts says, "I don't want to lose my wife and family. I try and be good, but keep repeating old patterns."

And it's those old patterns people in Windsor are concerned with.