Mother of man accused of targeting 'sexy boys': 'He wasn't getting the help he needed'

OCOEE, Fla. — Only Channel 9 spoke with the mother of a 19-year-old man accused of sending child pornography on Snapchat and plotting to target boys at an Ocoee elementary school.

She said her son has a history of mental illness and wasn't able to get the help he needed.

She sat down with Channel 9's Samantha Manning and explained what she thinks could have prevented her son's most recent arrest.

"I just think it's frustrating, because it didn't have to get this far," said the woman, who asked to not be identified.

Her son, Kristopher Oswald II, has been charged with conspiracy to commit sexual battery and possession of child pornography.

Oswald's mother said it stems from a history of mental illness and behavioral problems.

"I told him that he wasn't getting the help that he needed," she said.

Police said Oswald posted on Snapchat that he was targeting "sexy boys" at Thornebrook Elementary School. His mother first read the details in his arrest report Wednesday evening.

"What's that like -- as his mother -- for you?" Manning said.

"(It's) just frustrating, because I tried to tell them," the woman said.

She said she asked for help from law enforcement and mental health workers.

Oswald was involuntarily committed for psychological evaluations under Florida's Baker Act half a dozen times since he was 13.

His mother said he showed signs of deviant sexual behavior. She said he also told her he was sexually abused as a teenager by another teenager. That case wasn't investigated by police.

"He has, again, multiple mental health issues, but to me, none of that excuses the choices that you make," she said. "And talking about hurting a child infuriates me."

The woman said Oswald was arrested in Polk County when he was 16 for having child pornography and was placed on probation. But once he turned 18, she had limited authority on ensuring he received the treatment he needed, she said.

"What do you think should happen to him moving forward following these accusations if the evidence turns out to prove he did it?" Manning said.

"If the evidence proves he did it, well, first of all, I still think he needs counseling," Oswald's mother said. "I do think he needs help, but ... you pay for your crimes."

Oswald, who remains jailed, could face a life sentence if convicted.

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