University professor busted in teen sex sting

51-year-old James Cavalcoli

James Cavalcoli, a 51-year-old assistant professor of computational medicine and bioinformatics at the University of Michigan was arrested in a sting operation at a spa in Weston, Florida. Prof. Cavalcoli was said to have travelled 1,300 miles in the hopes o having sex with a 14-year-old boy.

University of Michigan

The officer who exposed Cavalcoli apparently made contact with Cavalcoli in late 2013 through a website where users discussed child pornography and sex with young boys. The undercover officer said Cavalcoli described himself as a "boy lover."  The officer allegedly told Cavalcoli that he had a teenage son. They remained in contact over a period of 20 months, during which Cavalcoli allegedly sent the officer sexually explicit photos, police said. In July, Cavalcoli told the officer that he was going to be traveling to Central Florida, and asked if the man and his son would want to "meet up for fun." The officer agreed as long as Cavalcoli promised to use condoms and that there would be "no pain."
Cavalcoli sensing danger, emailed the officer a day before the sting operation, asking for assurance that law enforcement wasn’t involved.
Cavalcoli was said to have confessed when police officers showed up at the spa.
A University of Michigan spokeswoman said Cavalcoli had worked there for 13 years, and that the institution intends to cooperate fully with investigators. His profile however, has since been removed from the school’s website.       
Cavalcoli faces a federal charge of traveling to have illicit sex with a minor.