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Former Officer Accused In Internet Sex Sting

LANSING – A former Lansing police officer and school board member was charged Thursday with using the Internet to entice a minor for sex.

Authorities arrested William Brian Duncan, 40, on Wednesday after he drove to Kansas City to meet with someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy, according to federal prosecutors.

The meeting had been set up during online chats between Duncan and undercover officers with the FBI Cyber Crime Task Force who posed as the minor, according to the affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City.

Duncan resigned from the Lansing Police Department and the Lansing school board in November. He currently works as a loss prevention manager for a local retailer, according to federal prosecutors.

The online activity that led to Thursday’s charge began in early December after a relative of an 18-year-old contacted law enforcement officers about online chats between that teen and Duncan, according to court documents.

In those chats, Duncan allegedly said he was looking to speak with people for a college paper on sexual orientation. He was not a college student, prosecutors noted.

Officers with the FBI task force then contacted Duncan, using the name “Alex.”

“From the very onset of the communications, Mr. Duncan was advised that ‘Alex’ was 14 years old,” prosecutors stated in the court documents.

Over the course of the month, online chats continued and the meeting was arranged so they could engage in sexual activity, according to the allegations. Duncan was arrested when he arrived at the agreed-upon location.

Duncan was not represented by a lawyer at his initial appearance Thursday in federal court. A detention hearing is scheduled for Jan. 5.

Prosecutors contend that Duncan poses a danger to the community because of his “position of authority and trust, his experience in law enforcement and familiarity with criminal law, his demonstrated interest in sexual activity with minors, and willingness to follow through on his desires.”

Duncan was with the Police Department for about six years and was officer of the year in 2008. He was appointed to the school board in 2008.