MIAMI - The deputy press secretary for the Department
of Homeland Security was arrested Tuesday for using the Internet to seduce what
he thought was a teenage girl, authorities said.
Brian J. Doyle, 55, of Silver Spring, Md., was arrested
on seven charges of use of a computer to seduce a child and 16 counts of
transmission of harmful material to a minor. The charges were issued out of Polk
County, Fla.
Doyle had a sexually explicit conversation with what he
believed was a 14-year-old girl whose profile he saw on the Internet on March
14, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The girl was an undercover Polk County Sheriff’s
computer crimes detective, the sheriff’s office said.
Doyle sent the girl pornographic movie clips and had
sexually explicit conversations via the Internet, the statement said.
During other online conversations, Doyle revealed his
name, that he worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and offered
his office and government issued cell phone numbers, the sheriff’s office
said.
Doyle used the Internet to send hard-core pornographic
movie clips to the girl and used the AOL Instant Messenger chat service to have
explicit sexual conversations with her, the sheriff's office said.
Doyle also sent photos of himself to the girl, but
authorities said they were not sexually explicit.
On several occasions, Doyle instructed her to perform a
sexual act while thinking of him and described explicit activities he wanted to
have with her, investigators said.
Homeland Security press secretary Russ Knocke in
Washington said he could not comment on the details of the investigation. “We
take these allegations very seriously, and we will cooperate fully with the
ongoing investigation,” Knocke said.
Doyle was expected to be placed on administrative leave
Wednesday morning.
“We will go after child predators, no matter where
they live, to protect our innocent children,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady
Judd, in a statement from his office.
“This investigation shows that the long arm of the
law can reach anyone, anywhere, anytime, who tries to harm our youth,” Judd
said. “There is no question that Doyle believed that he was having these
disgusting, obscene discussions, online and on the phone, with a young girl. His
conduct is vile and inexcusable.”
