Accused Predator's Father Says Son Didn't Understand What He Was Doing Because Of Disability
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) — A suspected child predator was arrested after investigators say he walked into a trap, but his father says his son didn't know he'd just made a date when he agreed to meet a teen online.
It started with an ad Placer County Sheriff's Deputies say Daniel Kirschner posted online looking for a girlfriend. Detectives say they responded to the ad and posed as a 13-year-old girl.
"The detectives suggested perhaps they could meet at a jail parking lot," said Dena Erwin with the sheriff's department.
Kirschner thought he was meeting the girl while her mom went to court for a boyfriend.
"He had no problem with that he showed up at the jail parking lot," Erwin said.
That's when Daniel learned there was no girl, just detectives waiting to walk him a few steps to the jail. He's now accused of trying to have sex with an underage girl.
"Ane he starts freaking out, saying, 'I got arrested, you gotta get me out of jail, please,'" his father Don Kirschner said.
Daniel's dad says his son had no clue he'd done anything wrong.
"My son is not a pedophile," he said. "He has mild cerebral palsy; he has ADD, Tourette's; he's got an IQ about 74; he's got OCD. I mean he's got a lot of things going on."
Don says his 28-year-old son has the mind of a 14- or 15-year-old, and he doesn't' comprehend what he reads, including the emails written back and forth with the girl who told him she was just 13.
"He gets lonely you know he can't meet anybody because of his disability," he said.
But he says his son does know he's in trouble for a crime he didn't intend to commit.
Daniel posted on Facebook as soon as his dad bailed him out, "I'm in trouble again. Wish it didn't happen to me."
The sheriff's department stands by its sting.
"It doesn't matter what medical condition he has he still was being a sexual predator online," Erwin said.
"How do they know he knew that," Don said. "I mean they don't know my son."
The suspect's dad says it's his disability that gets him into trouble. Daniel's been arrested for drunken driving and indecent exposure—the latter his dad says was dropped to a lesser charge.
