Skip to content
Arlington County2024–2025Sexual OffensePolicy Failure

Registered Sex Offender Exposed Himself to Young Girls in Washington-Liberty HS Pool Locker Rooms

A registered sex offender gained access to the female locker rooms at the Washington-Liberty High School pool (Arlington Aquatic Center) and allegedly exposed himself to girls. When the incidents came to light, Arlington Public Schools initially doubled down on its “inclusive” facilities policy. Only after public pressure did APS revise security protocols to include ID checks and sex offender registry screening.

Share

Key Facts

Registered
Sex offender on registry
W-L HS
Washington-Liberty pool facility
Young Girls
Victims in female locker rooms
Defended
APS initially defended policy

Timeline of Events

Every date and fact below is cited to its source. Click the bracketed links to verify.

Fall 2024

Sex offender gains access to female locker rooms at W-L pool

A registered sex offender accessed the female locker rooms at the Washington-Liberty High School pool facility (also known as the Arlington Aquatic Center) and allegedly exposed himself to young girls. The pool facilities are shared between the school and the broader community, creating access opportunities that went unchecked.

January 2025

Arrest of sex offender; incidents become public

The registered sex offender was arrested for the incidents at the Washington-Liberty pool. The new APS superintendent publicly addressed the arrest, acknowledging the incidents had occurred in the school’s pool facilities.

January 2025

APS initially defends 'inclusive' facilities policy

When pressed on how a registered sex offender gained access to female locker rooms, Arlington Public Schools initially doubled down on its “inclusive” facilities policy. Rather than immediately acknowledging the security failure, APS defended the existing framework that had allowed the offender access.

January–February 2025

APS revises security protocols after public pressure

Following public outcry, APS consulted with Arlington County and revised its security protocols for the pool facilities. The new measures included checking IDs and running sex offender registry checks on individuals using the facilities. These were basic safeguards that should have been in place long before a registered sex offender was able to expose himself to children.

Ongoing

Questions remain about policy priorities

The incident raised serious questions about APS’s priorities — why an “inclusive” facilities policy was maintained even after it enabled a registered sex offender to access spaces where girls were changing. Critics noted that basic security measures like ID checks and registry screening should never have been considered optional at facilities used by children.

What Went Wrong

1

No Sex Offender Screening

The Washington-Liberty pool facilities had no process for checking whether individuals accessing the locker rooms were on the sex offender registry — a basic safeguard for any facility used by children.

2

No ID Checks

Individuals could access the female locker rooms at the school pool without presenting identification, allowing a registered sex offender to enter unchecked.

3

Policy Over Safety

When the incidents became public, APS initially doubled down on its 'inclusive' facilities policy rather than immediately addressing the glaring security failure that had put children at risk.

4

Reactive, Not Proactive

ID checks and sex offender registry screening were only implemented after a registered sex offender exposed himself to girls — measures that should have been standard from the start.

All Sources

Every fact on this page is sourced from the following reporting. We encourage you to read the original articles and verify every claim.

  1. ARLnow: “New superintendent addresses arrest of sex offender for incidents at W-L pool”
  2. Defending Education: “Arlington Public Schools consults county, revises pool security after sex offender exposed himself in female locker rooms”

Children deserve basic safety.

A registered sex offender exposed himself to girls in a school pool locker room. APS’s first instinct was to defend the policy that allowed it. Only public outrage forced change.

Related Incidents