Blount County district attorney discusses arrests of Jefferson County School employees
The arrests have raised questions about the hiring process for those who work closely with children.
CBS 42 News spoke with Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey, who is prosecuting these cases. She said that when it comes to these kinds of crimes, it's nearly impossible to identify those who will commit them before they do.
'I hate to say it like this, but you can't fix stupid,' Casey said. 'If people are going to make stupid decisions, sometimes there's things you can't do to fix stupid.'
According to the BCSO, Christopher Thompson and James Mitchell were trying to pay who they believed were minors for sexual activity. There arrests were caught on the camera by 'TakeDown with Chris Hansen' on TruBlu.
Hansen said he believes the district should implement stricter hiring policies.
'Clearly two in a matter of two sting operations back-to-back indicates more needs to be done,' Hansen said.
WATCH: Former 'To Catch a Predator' host talks recent Alabama sting operation
'We find people all the time who have never been caught before, and I find it hard to believe this is their first time acting out in our sting,' Hansen continued. 'So it happens. Men get away with it. Predators get away with it, so I think there needs to be more done in terms of psychological screening.'
CBS 42 reached out to Jefferson County Schools about its hiring process and received the following statement:
All potential candidates for employment are required to submit to a criminal history background check through the ALSDE, which includes a fingerprint check by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The district does not recommend individuals for hire unless their background status on the ALSDE portal at the time of recommendation is suitable for the position in which they are being recommended for. If an appropriate background status is not available through the ALSDE portal, the individual will not be recommended for hire.
Jefferson County Schools
According to Casey, these two men are out on bond. Mitchell's case has been reviewed by a grand jury and is proceeding to circuit court. Thompson's case is pending a first call hearing.
'The number one priority we have is keeping children safe and keeping family safe, and that's what we are going to do in all our cases, especially in these two situations,' Casey said.
Jefferson County Schools stated Mitchell is on administrative leave, while Christopher Thompson has resigned from his position with the school system.
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