A teacher in Florida was arrested after he was allegedly found to be in possession of child pornography.
Administrators at Saint Andrews School, a private school in Boca Raton, sent a Thursday, May 28, statement to families, explaining that the FBI notified the school that Upper School teacher Patrick Russell had been arrested at his home on child pornography charges. He was then fired from his job at the school.
“We have terminated Mr. Russell’s employment, and he is not permitted to return to campus, access any school equipment or property, attend any school events, or interact with any students or employees,” the statement read in part, according to CBS 12.
School administrators went on to say that they will “continue to cooperate with law enforcement throughout their investigation.”
“As of right now, we are sharing with you what we know. If and when we receive additional information that we are able to share with the community, we will certainly do so,” the statement concluded.
In addition to teaching at the school, Russell also worked as an assistant football coach.
Authorities learned of Russell’s alleged crimes when FBI agents in Ohio were initially investigating a different case, according to the outlet. Investigators later discovered that Russell, 37, used the online name “Jack C” on an encrypted messaging app called Zangi, which he allegedly used to communicate with others in order to receive explicit content that involved minors.
The person operating as “Jack C” identified himself as a teacher and coach, according to a criminal complaint viewed by CBS 12. He also allegedly made sexual comments about students at his school.
Investigators claimed that Russell even discussed finding someone who could “bait” students at his school to send him nude photos. Authorities said that another user expressed fear about getting caught, though Russell allegedly responded that they would be OK if they remained “aware and cautious.”
Russell was arrested on Thursday and appeared before a magistrate on the morning of Friday, May 29. He is currently in custody at Broward County Main Jail on a U.S. Marshals Service hold, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
It is not currently clear if Russell has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Office of U.S. Attorney Anita G. White, who submitted the criminal complaint, did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
Parents, teachers, and guardians interested in learning more about protecting children from exploitation can find useful tools and information at Know2Protect.
