'Disturbing' Texts On San Jose-Bound Flight Lead To 2 Arrests: Police

SAN JOSE, CA -- A passenger aboard a San Jose-bound flight this week helped disrupt a suspected child sex operation in Washington state when she reported text messages she saw being sent by a fellow passenger, San Jose police said Thursday.

While on a flight Monday from Seattle to San Jose, a passenger who was later identified as Michael Kellar, a 56-year-old resident of Tacoma, was reportedly using a large smartphone with an enlarged font, which allowed the passenger seated behind him to see and take photos of allegedly explicit text messages about sexually molesting children, police said.

The passenger notified the Southwest Airlines flight crew, a member of which in turn contacted a San Jose police officer once the flight landed -- resulting in Kellar being detained upon his arrival in San Jose.

San Jose law enforcement officials then contacted Seattle police about the in-flight incident. The San Jose officials told Seattle police that the passenger was able to read the explicit messages and was so disturbed she snapped a few photos.

The ensuing investigation conducted by members of the San Jose and Seattle police departments' Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, as well as FBI agents from San Francisco and Seattle, led authorities to identify the person Kellar was allegedly texting as Gail Burnworth, a 50-year-old Tacoma woman whom authorities say lives with her ex-husband and three children and is believed to have "access to children either as a caregiver or babysitter."

San Jose police arrested Kellar on suspicion of attempted child molestation and solicitation of a sex crime, both of which are felonies. Jail records showed Kellar remained in custody at the Santa Clara County main jail south Thursday, where he was being held on no bail pending a court appearance Aug. 7.

Burnworth was arrested in Pierce County, Washington, on suspicion of sexual exploitation of a minor, rape of a child and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to San Jose
police.

Two children, 5 and 7, were identified as alleged victims, authorities said.

The investigation is continuing, and anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Nick Jourdenais and Detective Sgt. Brian Spears with the Internet Crimes Against Children unit at 408-537-1397.

Bay City News Service and Patch reporter Neal McNamara contributed to this report.

Photos courtesy San Jose Police Department