A sixth-grade social studies teacher was arrested last week after police said they found child pornography on his computer.
The alleged pornography, which police said was found on the man’s personal laptop, was apparently downloaded from the Internet and included images of children ages 3 to 17. None of the teacher’s students were included in those images, according to police.
Police first responded to the 57-year-old man’s apartment March 15 after his roommate allegedly called to report that she had found child pornography on the teacher’s personal laptop.
The man apparently knew officers were on the way, police said, because his roommate told him she reported him. The teacher allegedly threw his laptop in a lake near his apartment.
When officers arrived, the man told them his computer was in the lake. Then he retrieved it for them, according to reports.
Officers seized the laptop, but did not arrest the man.
A cyber crimes investigator later retrieved images from the hard drive showing pornography involving children ages 3 to 17, according to police.
The man was arrested last week. He faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
The man was booked into the Pinellas County jail. If he is freed on bail, he will be placed in a school district job where he will not work with any students.
Child pornography charges are nothing to mess around with. Police and prosecutors work together to make sure those charged with these types of crimes are punished to the fullest extent of the law. If you have been charged, or think you will be arrested soon for child porn charges, it is best to be proactive and obtain legal counsel right away.
Our Florida Child Pornography Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you understand the legal ramifications of the charges you are facing. We know how scary and stressful these charges can be. We will do our best to establish the strongest possible defense on your behalf, with the ultimate goal of achieving an outcome that you can live with.
For a free consultation, please call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online. We are available 24/7, so do not delay.