A Woodland man who worked as a Vancouver school janitor has been convicted of sending a 13-year-old boy sexually graphic messages and trying to lure him cross country to Cowlitz County.
A judge convicted Robert Franklin Leonard, 59, of communication with a minor for immoral purposes last week in Cowlitz County Superior Court.
According to court and police records, Leonard met a Pennsylvania boy, then 13, in an online chat room in late 2011. Leonard communicated with him through email and texts during a year-long period. Police found several sexually graphic emails as well as evidence that Leonard was trying to convince the boy to come live with him in Woodland, according to court records.
The boy’s mother eventually discovered the connection and contacted Pennsylvania State Troopers, who worked with Woodland and Vancouver investigators. Leonard told police that he had sexual relationships with two other boys a few years earlier, both when they 13, according to court records.
Leonard worked as a janitor for Vancouver Public Schools for nearly 30 years. He resigned in September of 2013 before his arrest later that month.
Vancouver school officials are aware of his case but said Wednesday that they’ve never been told of any allegations involving improper conduct with students in the school. Leonard worked at Roosevelt Elementary School before resigning.
Leonard will be sentenced Sept. 1. Under state sentencing guidelines, he faces between 1 to 3 months for the crime.