Snohomish, WA teacher arrested for attempted child rape

REDMOND, Wash. – Redmond police arrested a Northshore School District teacher on Tuesday for attempted second-degree rape of a child.

Investigators with the state Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested John Edwin Butz, 61, of Snohomish, following an undercover sex crimes investigation operation. He was a teacher at Leota Middle School in Woodinville.

Authorities said Butz communicated with an undercover agent because he assumed he would meet minors at a hotel for sex.

According to court documents filed at his initial appearance Wednesday, Butz responded to a Craigslist ad staged by police seeking a “tutor/mentor” for a 9- and 12-year-old girl who also wanted something from them should teach about other cultures. Butz eventually met with an undercover agent who posed as the mother of the two daughters. According to court documents, when asked why he was interested in tutoring the girls, Butz explained that while on a Marine assignment in Japan, he “began to enjoy the submissive culture of women and became involved with various people there.”

According to court documents, Butz indicated that he wanted to teach the 12-year-old daughter “oral” and mentioned “pleasant” and “pleasure.”

According to court documents, Butz continued to communicate with the undercover agent, saying she was “hot and sexy” and indicating that he was also interested in a sexual relationship with her. The detective rebuffed him several times, but Butz continued to say how interested he was in her and her oldest daughter.

After communicating for about a month, the investigator asked him point-blank if he wanted to have sex with their children, to which he “immediately replied yes,” court documents say. They arranged to meet at a hotel in Redmond, where Butz was picked up by the police and arrested.

During his arrest, Butz said it was “all a misunderstanding and he only went to the hotel hoping to convince the (undercover cop) to have sex with him.”

This investigation is different from the other child sex crimes investigations in Renton, where bodycam video was released Wednesday. These arrests occurred in October.

Butz will likely be charged with second-degree attempted rape of a child. The public prosecutor’s office expects to make a charging decision by late Friday afternoon.

He now remains in the King County Jail on $50,000 bail.

Police urge anyone who believes their child may be a victim to contact law enforcement immediately.

Following Butz’s arrest, the Northshore School District issued the following statement:

“The safety of children in our greater community and Northshore School District is our top priority. When the Redmond Police Department notified the district of the arrest, the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave. The district will continue to support the active police investigation.” No further comment will be made if necessary as this is an ongoing investigation.

The families received the following message from the school district:

“The district was notified by the Redmond Police Department that one of our teachers at Leota Middle School was arrested for attempted felony assault on a minor. “Based on the information provided to us by law enforcement, the arrest is not related to attempted misconduct,” a Northshore student.

“As soon as Redmond police notified the district, the teacher was placed on administrative leave. The district will continue to work with police and provide support as needed.”
The Redmond Police Department has shared information with media sources and the public to advance the ongoing investigation.

“The district takes the health, safety and well-being of the district’s students very seriously. We will continue to work with our schools’ administration and staff to remain focused on providing a positive educational experience during this challenging time.”

“The Redmond Police Department asks that anyone who has additional information regarding this situation or believes their child or another child may be a victim should contact local law enforcement. Because the investigation is ongoing, the district cannot share any additional information.”

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