Teacher Richard Neal Willetts Used Internet to Lure Eight Kids for Sex
Teacher Richard Neal Willetts, 26, is being held in a Virigina jail on federal charges that he used the Internet to try to have sex with eight children in the past two years. He’s pleaded not guilty to charges of enticement and sexual exploitation of children, and faces a minimum 10-year sentence if convicted.
The indictment says that Willetts tried to get children to pose for photos, engage in sexual acts, and have sex with him. One of the victims is from Hawaii and officials are checking to see if the child was enrolled at the Punahou School where Willetts taught drama. Three other victims are from two Virginia high schools, Western Albemarle High School and Fluvanna County High School. Willetts taught social studies part time at Western.
Willetts was arrested while he was teaching at a high school and middle school theater department for the American Community School of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
And people wondered why I posted last week about Chris Hanson’s book To Catch a Predator: Protecting Your Kids from Online Enemies Already in Your Home.
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teacher, Richard Neal Willetts, sexual abuse, internet predator, child abuse
April 11th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Neil Willetts was a part time teacher of mine last year in drama. He was a really nice guy and was completely harmless. This is just a case of him wanting to be the students friends and getting attached rather than a case of sexual enticement.
April 13th, 2007 at 9:02 am
I personally had Mr. Willetts as a US History Teacher. I am extremely dissapointed in him. I can not believe him, I told him many different and personal things, i thought he was my friend, I thought he was my teacher, but i guess not. He was my favorite teacher out of all of the years I have been here. Now he is not he lied to us, and hurt us, I am so angry at him, I hope they keep him in jail or just put him to death because he deserves it! And to add to your comment Cloe, he admitted to most of the charges, Teachers are not to do this, they have evidence that he did do it, and if I were you I would be angry!
May 7th, 2007 at 4:04 am
I never actually had Mr Willetts as a teacher, but he was my coach for various things including forensics, and we were on various school trips together, and he never seemed like a creepy person. We always knew he was a bit different, but we just didn’t know to what extent. To reply to Brooke, you should go die in jail, or at least get some professional help, because your screwed up in the head. This school loved Mr Willetts, and he is a great person. Everybody has things they’re ashamed of in their past. He’s just somebody who got caught.
September 5th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I had Neal Willets as my drama teacher in Abu Dhabi.
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Saif, you’re ridiculous, not everybody does things like THAT that bring them and their families such shame.
Willetts is from my hometown and went to my university (at one grade above me). He was ALWAYS clearly perverted. This was clear to all my friends and after a while, we were not even friendly towards him. I think he was nice to people out of whom he thought he might want something later.
My sister also knew him via schoolchildren drama activities in my locality. When he was in college he still hung around these people and invited them back to his house for alcohol parties (girls as young as 12). He bragged about having sex with a 15 yr old at one of these parties while he was at college.
Sick.