Florida Teacher Charged with 408 Counts of Child Porn Possession
Written by SOURCE on November 22, 2020
A Florida high school teacher has been charged with over 400 counts of child pornography possession, ABC News reported on Saturday.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd revealed during a press conference that 46-year-old Shawn Fitzgerald possessed around 408 pornographic images on his cellphone. Investigators say they were notified of Fitzgerald’s activity via a tip from the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children.
The images were reportedly concealed in Fitzgerald’s phone in a fake calculator app that doubled as a vault for explicit material. They show children as young as 10 months old being sexually abused by adults and engaging in acts with other minors. The sheriff said that the pictures didn’t appear to be locally produced or that the suspect had personally harmed any children. Despite this, Fitzgerald is still likely to face more charges for his involvement as the investigation continues.
Fitzgerald taught at Lakeland High School and has worked in the district since 1998, previously teaching at Lake Alfred Middle, Stephens Elementary, Bill Duncan Opportunity Center, and George Jenkins High School. He has also been the school’s boy’s soccer coach since 2014. Additionally, he holds the position of youth director at the First United Methodist Church in Bartow, Florida.
“We are shocked and disgusted by these charges,” Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd said in the statement per the local CBS affiliate. “As educators, we are entrusted with the well-being of our young people every day. It is our sacred duty to set the highest moral example in our schools and our communities. … We are cooperating fully with the investigation to ensure justice is served, and we are in the process of terminating this employee.”
As of Sunday, it is unclear if Fitzgerald has sought legal counsel. He is currently being held on a $2 million bail at the Polk County Jail.
