A Waukegan middle school art teacher was arrested Wednesday for allegedly bringing child pornography to school--and viewing it on his classroom computer.
Administrators at Miguel Juarez Middle School in the Chicago suburb contacted police after the district's Information Technology Services Department flagged suspicious computer activity on the school's system, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Joshua Rich, 53, was able to circumvent the school's web filter by bringing his own flash drive with its own web browser. Police confiscated the drive and discovered a video of child pornography.
Rich worked for Waukegan Unit School District 60 for approximately 13 years, but said he has only been accessing the pornography for a year in a statement to police, the Sun-Times reports.
“I am not buying that this revolting behavior just started a year ago," Chief Daniel Greathouse told Fox Chicago. "No one initiates such a despicable behavior at his place of employment, without a precipitating event.”
Greathouse says there is no evidence that any school children were victimized, but are encouraging parents to speak to their children and contact the authorities with any information, CBS reports. Police executing a search warrant in Rich's Libertyville home removed multiple computers.
“I am shocked and disappointed by this revelation," District 60 Superintendent Dr. Donaldo Batiste told the Sun-Times. "The district has manifested that it will not tolerate any employee abusing his or her computer privileges to conduct illegal, immoral or unethical business. This lone incident does not reflect the dedication and hard work of our district’s more than 2,000 employees."
Batiste says that students were not present in the classroom when Rich was discovered to be visiting the restricted material.
Rich was charged with 1 count of child pornography, a class 3 felony, and is being held in the Lake County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to CLTV.