Teacher Tried to 'Explore' 12-Year-Old's Body: Police

He believed that he was engaging with. somebody who was offering up their child. for sexual intercourse. A New Mexico. teacher has learned his fate after he. got caught up in a multi-agency sex. sting operation and the takedown and the. following interview all caught on video. Gentlemen, you you look at a man who. just lost his life. All right. One, this is not me. This is. not my character. But apparently it is because I'm here. That right here is This is something I'm. going to have to live with for the rest.

of my life. And you will not believe. some of what he had to say to the cops. who busted him. Gentlemen, I am. I'm an outstanding human being up to. [music] this. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law &. Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. By the way, if you're putting things out. on social media, if you're into content. creation, you might be wondering how we. put so many of our clips out there so. quickly. We use something called Opus. Clip, okay? This is an all-in-one AI. editor that makes it so easy to cut,

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51-year-old man in Albuquerque, New. Mexico was caught trying to organize a. meet up between himself and a man who he. thought was offering up his 12-year-old. daughter for sex. Now, as sick as that. is, as disgusting as it is, the good. news is this wasn't real. No, this was. part of an undercover operation in. October of 2024. This ruse was part of. Operation OverWatch. This was out in. Bernalillo County. It ended up with. nabbing eight alleged sexual predators.

including Steven Phillips, who we want. to talk about. And he would eventually. be convicted of attempted human. trafficking because investigators said. this guy shows up at a home thinking. he's going to meet up with this, you. know, child. And instead, he's met with. multiple state and local agents. They. were waiting to bust him. They say. Phillips parked down the street, walked. up to the home, even apparently brought. a sex toy with him.

Targets. He said it's a decoy outside, but I. think that's her bedroom sweet.

Go. Go. Go. Let's go. Let's go. Freeze. Let's see your hands. All right. Let me SEE YOUR HANDS. GET DOWN ON THE GROUND. GET [screaming]. DOWN ON THE GROUND. GET DOWN ON THE GROUND. GET DOWN ON THE. GROUND. PUT YOUR HANDS UP. PUT YOUR. HANDS. GO ON YOUR STOMACH. GO ON YOUR STOMACH. Go on your stomach. Go on your stomach. Go on your stomach. Go away. Go on your. stomach. Oh my god. Stop resisting. Stop. resisting. You're going to get tased. You're going to get tased. You're going. Stop. GIVE ME YOUR HAND. I GOT ONE HAND. All right.

Good. You got Lift. All right. Other side. Break your wrist. All right. Do you have any weapons on your side? No. We're going to sit you up, all right?

All right, how do we let you up? Ready? 1 2 3. What's this? Check on the side. See the stuff? I thought you guys have a. flashlight? Yeah, I got it. What do you want? A person. And before. we dive into what Phillips apparently. told investigators immediately after his. arrest, we got to go back. We got to. look at what tipped them off in the. first place to this guy. And I'm going. to warn you,

this is not pretty, okay? According to. the New Mexico Department of Justice, this all started on the fetish website. known as FetLife. A criminal complaint. says that Phillips created a post that. said he was looking for, and I quote, "a. baby girl to spoil." Now, he didn't get. in touch with who he thought he was. getting in touch with. No, instead, an. undercover officer reaches out to. Phillips pretending to be the dad of a. young girl and offering her up to. Phillips. Prosecutors say that Phillips. undercover officer, they then. communicated on the Kik messaging app,

and officials provided snapshots of some. of those text messages. Very, very. compelling evidence. Going to be very. tough to argue that that wasn't you. writing this and you didn't say what you. meant. Because in them, Phillips. apparently said, "This was a fetish that. he never tried, but claimed he was very. interested." The officer's messages are. in green. They say, quote, "I'm in the. Northeast Heights. She is 12. Believe. me, I'm beyond discreet." Now, person. believed to be Phillips responds, "Hmm, might be enticed if I saw how she looked.

or her body." The undercover officer. writes back, "She's good, man." To which. Phillips says, "I definitely want to. explore her. I'm excited. So, how do we. do this?" And the fake dad, the. undercover officer, says, "It's easy. I'm in the Heights where my girl is. comfortable. I just give you my address. and you come over. Not too complex, honestly. Just imagine for a moment that. this wasn't an undercover operation, if. this was real. Very sick, scary stuff to be thinking. about, right? Now, even though this was. a setup, the consequences for Phillips.

were very, very real. When investigators. sat down with him to get his side of the. story, they learned that he was a. long-time PE teacher at a local school, Sin Aguas International Charter School. It's in Southeast Albuquerque. And. Phillips told the officers that the. school they serve students in. kindergarten through eighth grade. So, just imagine who this guy was around. And once the officers take Phillips into. custody, they search him, they read him. his Miranda rights, and they prod him. into talking about how they all got. here. Now, Phillips swears up and down.

that he's a good guy who made a mistake, that he never actually intended to have. sex with this fictional 12-year-old. So, when you you look at a man who just. lost his life. It's right? You're looking at a man who. just worked at his career for a long. time. And I was so torn. When somebody just messages me, "Hey, you want to come?". And. I'm like, "What the fuck is this? This. cannot be true. It cannot be.".

And then. you just wanted like you almost want to. witness to see if it's out there, right? One, this is not me. This is not my. character. But apparently it is because I'm here. Now, right here is this is something. they don't want to have to live with for. the rest of my life. And uh. in this pain and torment that I've I put. myself through right now. And all the times just. of of driving over here like, "What are. you doing? This is just ridiculous. What.

This is not who you are, but what you. are, what you're about.". And. And so. I just want I I want. a a a lawyer. I want somebody to. to be able to help me through this. process. Um. Uh. the easiest way possible, right? Like or. or or. I'll be very honest with you from. keeping me from taking my life.

Right? That's where it's at. I have. hundreds. of parents who. who look up to me. Right? And and I don't. I I don't I don't have a. I've never in a million years even. have. have have have made a move or have done. anything on on.

on any girls. That's That's That's I. know that for a fact. I'm a genuine professional and then. this curiosity got the best of me. Um. Even knowing when I'm driving over here. like you you your gut like do this. I. even. And it has nothing to do with probably. getting caught. It has to do with like. Like what what is. bring me to this matter, gentlemen? Yeah.

I'm just I'm just completely embarrassed. and completely. uh. Like I said, I I I I just lost my life. You know? I just lost it. And uh. And so now. uh. to hit rock bottom. when you're already just uh. >> [snorts]. [clears throat]. >> just struggling. Anyway, you guys don't. need to hear this stuff. Okay. All right. I I appreciate that,

right? Like I've been doing this for a. long time. So, I've served. I've sacrificed from a lot of people. that. feel in the same way you're feeling now. Okay? So, I don't. You said you spent your whole life. dedicated working with children. I don't. think you're a bad guy, right? You're. just a guy who made a mistake. Just And you said out of curiosity. But, let me read you this here real. quick, and then we can talk about that. if you'd like, all right? All [snorts] right, Steven. You have the. right to remain silent. Anything you say.

can and will be used against you in a. court of law. You have the right to talk with a lawyer. and have them present with you while. you're being questioned. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you. before any questioning if you wish. If you decide any You can decide anytime. to exercise these rights and not answer. any questions or make any statements. Do you understand each of these rights. as I've explained them to you? Okay. Can I get a Can I get a yes or no? Yes, sir. Okay. And having these rights.

in mind, do you wish to talk with us? Just a very honest and open man, whatever. Again, I think uh talking to a lawyer. would be my best bet. Um. Would you like to talk to a lawyer. before you talk to us? Yeah, I don't know. I've got. I got really nothing to hide at this. point. And I guess I can only be be. looking at a man who's. >> [clears throat].

>> Okay. Yeah, well, that's a good question. So, I don't I don't know you, right? So, I'd like to get to know you. I don't sit across the table from too. many people that are monsters. There are. some. But, I mostly sit across the table from. people who make who who made a mistake. Maybe they were at a low point in their. life. Maybe they were lonely. Maybe they were. curious. But, most of the people I talk to, this. isn't who they are.

Some of them, this is who they are and. we just finally got them, right? I don't know if that's you or not. But I'd like to find out. So, tell me tell me how all this. started. You you you everything that led you to. to here tonight. Phillips confirmed that everything. started on FetLife, this social media.

networking site that connects people. with various fetishes and kinks. It's. all meant to be above board, but this is. unfortunately not the first time that. we've talked about someone using FetLife. to assault children or try. So, he. reached out to you and asked if that was. like that was the first message? Like, "Hey, saw your account. Do you want to. have sex with my daughter?" Or was was. there some back and forth? Um. It it had a little bit of back and. forth. Okay. Right. I was just so sick of me.

Again, you don't you don't get somebody saying, "Hey, you want my daughter?" right? First response would be like, "How do. you the fuck do you?" Just you know, right? What do you Right? Then you're. like, what I. So, man, I was just just curious what. you had. What. what do you. I don't even really know the. conversation is back and forth, though. Is this real or are you.

who you say you are? Is this. you know, it it's. I'm sure you guys know the conversation, you know. I haven't seen it. No. No. So, it's very simple and. straightforward, I guess. Like, I'm. giving you I'm giving you first crack at. it. I haven't seen it yet, so the first. story I'm hearing is yours. Yeah, yeah. And and again, it's it was probably just. 2 hours or 3 hours of conversation. of. And then. uh.

yeah. He reached out to me and asked if I. wanted to. his daughter. I was like, at first, there was no age and then he said the. age and he said 12. I was like, what the fuck? All right. And so you. you must have expressed interest, right? Cuz that's why you're here. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course. So you must have said yes.

Would that would that be would that be. fair to say? Well, yeah, I'm here, right? Yeah. So so that's. that's an obvious. thing, right? I wasn't coerced to being. here. I wasn't uh. um. bribed to come here. Um. >> [snorts]. >> after me like, no, no, I don't want to come. Yeah, I I I I. I I I I I I I. This makes no sense. I stayed in my car. for a long time and then.

Yeah, it's um Yeah, so Phillips is. obviously very embarrassed about this. predicament he's now got himself into. and he doesn't want to provide a lot of. details to the investigators questioning. him. There are often these kind of long. pauses and sometimes he puts his head. down on the table. Okay. So like I told you, you got first. crack at this, right? I haven't seen the. chats, but I will. So I I'll see I'll see the answers to. these questions. You just had the opportunity to tell me. first and I can say Steve was very. forthcoming and very honest with me.

He's a guy who made a mistake tonight, right? Not a guy who has done this. a thousand other times. Would that be right? Uh that is that is. 100% correct. Okay. So we're giving you. the opportunity to tell me what I'm. going to find when I look at the phone. Cuz like I said, you're the first so you. you you get you get the first story. here. You know, you got the first mover. advantage. That's. It's as It's as very simple as that. You. don't come have sex with my daughter.

I don't know. what is this about. I. Again. I'm not justifying anything that I did. at all. But my intention wasn't to come over. here and have sex with with with with a. girl, a young girl. It It was to see the situation. Right? Okay. So, you were concerned for her?

The girl? Uh yeah. Yeah, yeah. Is that like I I I was I. Is this what she wants? Is Is one of the. questions I asked is Does she Does this. make you happy? Like is this what she is. How does. this happen? The longer this interview. goes on, the more clear it seems to. become to Phillips that everyone is. going to find out about this.

Now Now I'm really going to have to get. you to get to know you, Steven, right? Which means that I got I have to dig. into your life for a little while. So, am I going to find. Hey, you want some water? I got it. Am I going to Am I going to find. anything else? In your life that's going. to cause me pause? Are there going to be. images on your phone that I'm going to. need to be concerned about? Am I going. to find other chats with similar similar. beings or you talking under age girls?

When the story hits the paper, am I. going to have any underage victims. coming [clears throat] out to me saying, "Hey, he did something to me, too."? When the story hits the paper. Right? Am I. There's nothing I can do to control. that. It's part of the First Amendment, bro. I. This I cannot live with this. I would. not live with this. Again, this is not. something that. like I I.

I have. My most favorite part of the day is. going to school and and then greeting. these kids and and then now and then. I've been at this school for 10 years. and I've been. the heart of the school, the heart of. the school. And then now for me to mess that up and. then for. that to to be spread and for those kids. to just hear this, right? For my daughter to hear this.

Absolutely devastating. How old is your. How old is your daughter? She's 31. She's 31? Yes. Okay. Any grandchildren? No. Just the one Just the one child? Yeah. Now, this is interesting because during. the interview, Phillips kept trying to. push blame and attention off of himself. and instead pointed to the dad offering. up his child as the truly evil person in. the scenario. The problem is, remember, there is no dad. This was an undercover. officer. This doesn't work. That.

argument isn't necessarily doing him any. favors. Nobody believes that you met. somebody online, agreed to have sex with. a 12-year-old girl, drove over to the. house, brought her. You were only there to check it out. You know what I'm saying? It's the same We We're getting that same. feeling that you get when your students. are just blowing a bunch of smoke up. your. So, just be honest with us, man. >> [clears throat].

>> I am being honest. You were here to. meet a 12-year-old girl, man. No, it wasn't. That's that That's That wasn't. So, you What was going on in my head? So, you agreed to have sex with the. 12-year-old girl after that. You drove. to her house, you brought her. but you didn't You weren't really You. You in your head you weren't a lot You.

no part of you thought you might. this girl. What did it make you feel? Nervous, excited, both?

Nervous, sick to my stomach, my heart in my throat. Not kind of excited? [clears throat]. Well, you can you can interpret excitement for. So, that That right there is not. excitement. That only was It was. more of more of a frightening feeling. than anything else. Let Let me Let me. ask you this. Did you come here because you wanted to. have sex with the 12-year-old girl or.

did you come here because you wanted to. just have sex with a girl? Any girl. She'd been 19. What then? Well, I guess that. Just I have sex with a lot of girls and. a lot of of age girls. I have. a lot of women that I see, right? Yeah, so it's.

The sex is not really. all that. everything is about, right? Like, it's. society is going to explain like you. can't. >> [snorts]. >> We're here, Steven. We We We're here to. hear your story. >> I don't know who you are or what your. story is, but. But, also you got to understand, too, and this is this is completely. embarrassing. It's completely. embarrassing to to just even. >> [snorts]. >> to think that I just cuz I. I already knew I already knew the state. of I already knew like, what the.

I already knew it. I already knew it. What helped you What helped you know. >> knew What helped you know that? What's that? >> What helped you know that you should. stay home? Well, because of the situation. Like, no person in their right mind will. will present you You know what I mean? Like, without any background like,

without anything. It's just like, what. the. Right? Well, yeah, you're going to be in. jail. So, you are you are under arrest, right? You understand that? Yes, sir. Okay. Yes, so you'll get transported parted. down. Um the officers will have your. charges. um and they tend to make pod. determinations based on your safety and. security.

Does that make sense? Have you ever been booked So, I'm at the. discretion of somebody. I Yeah, you know. that's what you just said. I'm at the. discretion of somebody who's like, oh, I. want to put you in that pod or that pod. depending on whatever. Right? It's a matrix. I don't have. control of the system. Have you ever. been booked before? Yes. Okay, for what? Uh. What was it for? It was um.

failure to pay a ticket and I had. warrant out my arrest. Okay. So, sounds. good. So, no doesn't sound like. something so crazy, right? You're not a. sex offender or anything like that. No, okay. Or you're not you Have you. ever assaulted a peace officer or. anything like that? It doesn't sound like it. I I don't. know. >> gentleman. So, Steven. >> an outstanding. human being up to this. in my time of making a. wish. Just even just come over here and check.

it out. Just to even just to. uh even give somebody two cents. of a conversation. I should just write my book. I didn't. need. that life. What tribe. are you in, Steven? Uh. the Sun Clan. Who's that by? Uh it's it's by uh. it's a Native American. uh from the.

the Blackfeet tribe. Is that his name? >> name is Hawthorne. No, [snorts] they're from North Dakota. Okay. Is that where you're originally from? I don't know. Uh could be. Uh I don't know. Through my ancestry, that's that's where I'm from. So, I'm. reading that it's it's a it's a book. about the beginning of time. Okay. Okay, man. Well, do you have any questions? We. asked you a lot of questions. Steven, do. you have any other questions? I was. going to ask what's going to happen. next. As we told you.

Um do you have any other questions for. us? No. And I Do I get to talk to a lawyer? If that's what you If that's what you. want, man. It's It's as simple as that. Yeah. I want to talk to a lawyer. Okay. Cool. All right, man. So, you have to sit. tight for a few minutes. Um but we'll let you know what's going. to happen next as things progress, okay? Phillips was searched. He was put in a. patrol car, but this is where he tells. the officers that he's diabetic and his.

blood sugar is very low. So, the. paramedics, they meet up with the. police, they check him over, they. eventually decide he should go over to. the hospital to get an IV. So, an. officer sits with him while he's. recovering and then they take him to. jail. And what happens? Grand jury. indicts Phillips in November of 2024 on. two charges with a third lesser charge. offered up as an option. But, Phillips. faced counts of attempted criminal. sexual penetration of a child under 13. and attempted sexual exploitation of. children by prostitution. He ended up. agreeing to plead guilty to that lesser.

charge, attempting to commit felony. human trafficking of a victim under 16. and details about the sentence weren't. immediately available on the court. docket, but we've reached out to the. clerk to try to find out a little bit. more. Well, I'll tell you what, after. Operation Overwatch finished up, several. agencies came together to talk about the. success of this operation and to warn. those who are out there who might have. disturbing ideas of their own, don't do. it. Don't be in a sexual conversation with a. child and you will never have to meet. us.

It's never acceptable. It's never. acceptable. Stay away from it. Get help. or as Sheriff another said, we can help. you. You probably won't like the help that. we're going to give. So, get yourself help and I've doubled. down on everything. The parents have. good trusting conversations with your. kids. You can try to go through their. phone for days, they'll just outsmart. you half the time. Really, you just have. to have a good conversation with them. and and hopefully they come to you when. they see something scary on online or on. their phone and and talk to you about. it, but these operations reduce the.

amount of hands-on sex abuse cases my. detectives have to get assigned. So, I. love these operations and we can't wait. to do the next one. And that's all we. have for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining. us and as always, please subscribe on. Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcast. Also, we're up on NBC's Peacock. If you want. to follow me, X, Instagram, [music] my. NewsNation show, Jesse Weber Live, Monday through Friday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll see you next time, everybody.