A Colorado dentist was arrested at a Florida airport after flying there to allegedly meet a mother — who turned out to be an undercover investigator — and her eight-year-old daughter for sex.
Dr. James Jason Atha, 50, is accused of messaging who he believed to be a single mother from Florida for ten months until he touched down at Palm Beach International Airport on August 9, the Daily Mail reported.
“I would love to find mother-daughter to play with,” the Broomfield man allegedly wrote in one message, detailing what sexual acts he wanted to do with the girl — who never existed.
When the undercover agent asked Atha if he had had sexual relations with another mother-daughter pair before, federal investigators said he replied, “Unfortunately no.”
“I have had so many of what I thought were opportunities, only to get ghosted when it got down to it,” the disgraced doctor wrote, according to a 27-page indictment that the Palm Beach Post obtained.
When the decoy mother described how she supposedly groomed her young daughter with sex toys, Atha reportedly replied, “That’s a beautiful thing. I would sooo love to be a part of that.”
As Atha worked out the details to meet up with the woman and her daughter, the agent repeatedly asked him to confirm that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with the child.
Though expressing anxiety, he said yes each time, the indictment states.
“I am very nervous but serious,” Atha allegedly wrote in one message. “In my head I get there and cops are waiting for me.”
Atha ended up not listening to his instincts and allegedly called the undercover agent to discuss specifics of the trip, including that he wanted the eight-year-old to wear “something not all that age appropriate,” like makeup, a halter top, and “short shorts.”
The fake single mom also gave him permission to start “playing” with her daughter on the way home from the airport.
The day before he flew into Palm Beach, police said the dentist told the woman that he purchased chocolate-flavored lubrication and condoms to use on her and the girl.
Upon touching down in Florida and meeting up with the woman, federal agents put him and the undercover agent in handcuffs.
The indictment says that Atha “spontaneously” asked the officers how law enforcement had seen his conversations — before the woman revealed herself to be an agent with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
It was then that Atha waived his Miranda rights and allegedly admitted that he traveled to the Sunshine State to watch the fake mother have explicit relations with her fake daughter.
He also allegedly confessed to possessing child pornography and to having those conversations with the undercover agent but denied that he would actually follow through on his sick plans.
Investigators later confirmed that he did have child pornography on his phone, the indictment said.
It was also alleged that Atha was involved in several online chat rooms where incest and other taboo fetishes were discussed.
If convicted of attempted enticement of a minor, the doctor could face a life sentence in prison.
A representative from Boulder, Colorado’s, Alpine Dental told CBS 12 news that Atha no longer works there, but it is unclear if he resigned or was fired.
Atha’s pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for Friday.
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