PORT CARBON - A Saint Clair teacher was arrested Wednesday for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Todd Christopher Evans, 27, of 149 N. Nicholas St., a middle school teacher in the Saint Clair Area School District in Schuylkill County, was charged with 10 counts of possessing child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility, according to state police.
Trooper Michael J. Gownley of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North East Computer Crime Task Force, Wilkes-Barre, filed a criminal complaint Wednesday in the office of Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, near Pottsville.
After being arraigned there Wednesday, Evans was sent to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $100,000 straight cash bail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Special Agent Patrick McCall of the Department of Homeland Security started an investigation in October into someone trafficking sexually explicit photos of children on the Internet.
Gownley received a search warrant Tuesday from Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin. Police went to Evans' home about 6:40 a.m. and he answered the door. Police said Evans lives by himself.
Police seized numerous electronic devices, including a laptop computer. On the computer were "hundreds of images and movie files that contain child pornography," according to the affidavit.
Saint Clair district Superintendent Kendy Hinkel confirmed Wednesday that Evans is a teacher at the school. She said no action had been taken relating to his status at the school.
"It's a personnel issue," she said, adding, "The district has fully cooperated with law enforcement authorities."