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Fairfax teacher charged with possessing child pornography

High school students provide some of the most vulnerable victims for pornographers because they are just beginning to experience and explore their sexuality. For this reason, among others, child pornography laws carry special penalties for violators. The recent arrest and arraignment of a teacher at Herndon High School serves as an example. The teacher at the Northern Virginia high school has just been arrested and charged with making illicit videos of students in various stages of undress.

The defendant was first arrested in April 2019 when a woman working at the defendant’s residence claimed to have found a camera hidden in an air conditioning vent. When police first arrested the man, they had no direct evidence of the alleged crimes, and the defendant was charged with four misdemeanors of unlawful filming and released on bond. However, after police reviewed approximately 3,500 videos found the man’s 32 electronic devices, they concluded that the evidence was sufficient to support a prosecution. Police said that the defendant’s videos were allegedly filmed at the school during normal school hours for classes, rehearsals, and other events. Some videos were apparently taken in another state. Police have been busy contacting persons who were identified from the videos. The videos were taken between June 2017 and May 2018. Many of the victims allegedly were not aware of the defendant’s activities.

The defendant is being held without bond at a Fairfax County Jail. When the defendant was arraigned in May, he was charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of unlawful filming. After discovering and reviewing the evidence found on the defendant’s’ devices, police say that additional charges will be filed.

The defendant in this case is entitled to be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, the advice of an experienced criminal defense attorney may help him identify potential defenses and to negotiate a favorable plea agreement.

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