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Lost iPod Leads Dad to Create Fake Porn Profile for Asst. Principal

By Edward Tan, JD on May 29, 2012 | Last updated on February 06, 2023

It's said that revenge is a dish best served cold. An appropriate caveat is that it can also get you arrested. An Arizona dad learned this lesson the hard way after he created a fake profile on a pornographic Website using his son's former assistant principal's identity. The plot started after his son's iPod was confiscated. Robert Dale Esparza, Jr., 34, allegedly blamed Gateway Pointe Elementary School Assistant Principal Frank Hendricsen for the lost iPod, The Arizona Republic reports. Though Hendricsen, who is now the interim principal, denied taking the device, Esparza wasn't satisfied. To get back at him, the disgruntled father reportedly assembled a phony porn site profile using lewd photos that he passed off as Hendricsen. So how was he found out? Hendricsen was interviewing for other principal jobs at the time. One school was about to offer him a position, but rescinded it after a concerned parent found the fake profile. That's where the investigation that eventually led to Esparza's arrest began. Police tracked the father through the IP address linked to his work laptop. Ironically, Esparza worked for a local home security company at the time. You'd think given his background, he'd be aware of IP tracking. But maybe he was just too full of rage. Initially Esparza claimed his son created the profile. However, after police questioned him, he eventually copped to the action, according to law enforcement officials. A jury has convicted Esparza for computer fraud and taking the identity of another, both felonies. The latter charge is simply a fancier way of saying identity theft. In Arizona, the offense is a class 4 felony. Conviction carries a potential sentence of one or more years imprisonment depending on the defendant's criminal history and other factors. Fortunately for the fake-porn-profile-creating dad, he doesn't have a prior criminal record. So he might get off easier (though the lost iPod is still MIA). Both Esparza and the assistant principal could not be reached for comment. Related Resources:
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