On February 3, 2024, a watchdog page on Facebook, called Jefferson County Perspective (JCP), broke the news story about a man who had been arrested just hours after a warrant was issued.

Edgar Hopkins Conn of Jefferson County, WV was an English teacher at the local Jefferson High School. A screenshot of his LinkIn profile shows he had been employed there since August of 2021. According to JCP’s sources, the arrest warrant was from Cobb County, GA and was for 8 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Some Facebook users commented on JCP’s initial posts questioning how Conn could have been wanted for such crimes and still be teaching at Jefferson High School. This is normal to ask, knowing that a background check had to have been done on him to work for the schools. Others mentioned that the warrant for his arrest was only hours old, so his past background check wouldn’t have picked this up. Dr. Chuck Bishop, Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools (JCS), released a statement not long after the news of Conn’s arrest.

Props to JCS for relieving Conn of his position, and for communicating with the appropriate agencies about this issue. These are, of course, common sense actions for the school system to take.

Another post from JCP reports that the brother of the young victim reached out to them. Part of his statement to them reads, “This situation involves inappropriate contact online with a minor, a matter of serious concern that underscores the potential dangers present in digital spaces. Our family is deeply committed to the well-being and privacy of my brother, and we have been fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies across state lines, including the Cobb County Police Department (CCPD) in Georgia and authorities in Jefferson County, to ensure that justice is served.” He goes on to remind parents to be vigilant about the online interactions that their children have with others.

I did a quick social media search for Conn and found that most of his online presence is on Facebook. Prior to the knowledge of his alleged crimes, one might have simply called this guy eccentric or flamboyant. In fact, multiple commenters on the JCP page expressed a sense of disbelief. Having personally interacted with Conn in some capacity during his role as a teacher or performer, yet never sensing that he might be into such things.

I’ve included a number of photos from Conn’s Facebook profile in case it gets taken down or erased. I’ll let my readers draw their own conclusions. I do not personally know this man, nor have I spoken to anyone who does.

Looks can be deceiving. In fact, this is the perfect time to remind my audience what it means, exactly, for a child to be groomed by an adult. Assuming that the charges against Conn are true and that he did knowingly sexually exploit a child (or children), we must remember that this is likely not something that happened spontaneously. It’s more likely that this occurred over time.

An article by and organization called RAINN, which stands for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, that was written on July 10, 2020 details the warning signs of grooming. The article states, “Grooming can take place online or in-person. It’s usually employed by a family member or someone else in the victim’s circle of trust, such as a coach, teacher, youth group leader or others who naturally have some interaction with the victim.”

It also warns how predators will groom their victims’ family members and communities, stating, “Grooming behaviors are not only used to gain a victim’s trust, but often are used to create a trustworthy image and relationship with their family and community. Child and teen sexual abusers are often charming, kind, and helpful — exactly the type of behavior we value in friends and acquaintances. You don’t need to be suspicious of everyone who is kind to your child; most people are well intentioned and trustworthy. But you should be on guard that this type of behavior is sometimes just a mirage, a way for an abuser to gain your trust so they have more direct access to your child (and make it less likely that the child will be believed if they speak up about the abuse). You should also talk to your kids about risks and boundaries, and make sure they know that they can come to you if anyone crosses a line.”

It speaks on the topic of online dangers and how these sick adults will often use fake profiles to lure in their victims. This can be through a variety of social media apps, and through various video games.
The bottom line is this, parents: check up on your children often. Monitor them as strictly as you see fit. Don’t let anyone guilt you into giving your children free rein to be online whenever they want or to roam about irresponsibly. You know your children the best and can tell when they are ready and mature enough to have access to certain platforms and tools. Aside from God, you are their shield from danger in this world. There are many dark forces seeking access to your children. What are you doing to protect them from these?

Be bold as lions!