Bush Hill staff member arrested for allegedly soliciting minor

An instructional aide and substitute teacher at Bush Hill Elementary School has been arrested for soliciting a minor.

The Fairfax County Police announced Wednesday that Monis Irfan, 21, faces two counts of solicitation of a minor, one count of attempted human trafficking and one count of attempted forcible sodomy. He is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Irfan was a 1st grade instruction assistant at Bush Hill. His arrest did not involve students at the school, according to a letter sent home to parents on Wednesday.

“At this time, we have no reason to believe that any of our students are in any way involved or directly affected,” said the letter from interim principal Mark Sewell, who said the school was cooperating with the FCPD and provided a number for parents to call if they had more information for authorities. “This is an unfortunate incident for our school community and in no way reflects the commitment we have to ensure that our students are in a safe environment at Bush Hill.”

According to the FCPD, an undercover officer from department’s Child Exploitation Unit had communicated with Irfan on a social networking site. During their talks, Irfan allegedly offered the undercover officer explicit images of children in exchange for meeting a minor willing to have sex with him, the police said.

“Irfan offered to meet the detective and provide sexually explicit images of children in return for access to a minor with whom Irfan believed he would have sexual relations,” the police said in their release.

Irfan was arrested sometime Tuesday upon meeting the detective. The police did not disclose the location of the meeting but it was in the county.

The police are asking anyone who may have more information regarding inappropriate communications made by Irfan to call theirr Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.