DOCUMENT: Crime

He Wrote The Book On Stupidity

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He Wrote The Book On Stupidity

You'd think that a guy who's written the book on stupidity (two, in fact), wouldn't be as dumb as author James Welles. But the 61-year-old Florida writer/degenerate was just arrested for soliciting sex from a 15-year-old girl he met in an online chat room. Except, of course, the girl was actually Todd Dwyer, a 40-year-old detective with the Lantana Police Department. The author of "The Story of Stupidity" and "Understanding Stupidity" spent three weeks corresponding with his teenage friend before arranging a face-to-face date at a Denny's. But when Welles arrived at the restaurant, he was arrested by cops and charged with soliciting sex from a minor, a felony. According to this probable cause affidavit, Welles wrote in one damning e-mail, "You just have to remember--bottom line, I'll be committing a crime." Jim, we'd suggest an epilogue may be in order for that "Story of Stupidity." (3 pages)