Former Johnson City middle school principal pleads guilty to luring a child

The former principal of Johnson City Middle School accused of attempting to have sexual contact with a 16-year-old student pleaded guilty to the top count against him.

Daniel Erickson, 56, of Greene, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Broome County Court to a single count of luring a child, a Class E felony.

Between June 28 and July 7, 2023, Erickson communicated with a student via Snapchat, for the purpose of luring the victim into a vehicle with the intention of engaging in sexual intercourse with her, prosecutors said.

Broome County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested Erickson on July 7, 2023 and charged him with luring a child and third-degree attempted rape, also a felony.

According to investigators, Erickson agreed to meet with the student in a remote location with the intentions of engaging in sexual relations but detectives were at the location upon his arrival and he was taken into custody.

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Communication between Erickson and the minor had been taking place for at least one week prior to his arrest, officials said, and Erickson had made multiple attempts to meet with her during that time frame, including going to her home, but the victim did not come out to meet him.

Erickson had been employed by the Johnson City School District for more than 20 years and was middle school principal for under 10 years, school officials said.

Erickson, who is free at the moment, is due to reappear in county court May 6 to turn himself in and start serving a jail sentence. The plea agreement calls for six months incarceration, followed by five years of probation supervision, which will include sex offender conditions and restitution payable to the victim.

Erickson will also have to register as a sex offender. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 30 in Broome County Court.

"The trust placed in educators, particularly those in positions of authority such as principals, is sacred," Broome County District Attorney Paul Battisti said in a news release. "When that trust is violated in such a heinous manner, it not only harms the individual victim but also undermines the foundation of safety and security in our schools."

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Former Johnson City middle school principal pleads guilty to luring a child