A gym teacher who worked at schools in two Massachusetts communities was arrested this week for possession and distribution of child sex abuse images.
Stephen McDonough, 60, of Waltham, was arrested Thursday for possession and dissemination of child sex abuse images, according to state police. Following his arriaignment, he is being held on $25,000 cash bail and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 22.
State police said McDonough worked as a gym teacher in schools in Belmont and Waltham, but didn’t release the names of the schools.
McDonough’s arrest stems from an investigation that began in August, when the Massachusetts State Police Cyber Crime Unit received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about suspicious online activity related to child sex abuse images. Troopers reviewed the material and determined the content violated state laws governing this type of material.
Further investigation determined that the activity stemmed from a Waltham residence, and public information available online showed that the resident associated with that address was a gym teacher in several schools. State police said they moved quickly because the suspect’s occupation puts them in a position of trust with access to children.
On Thursday, state and local police, along with Homeland Security, executed a search warrant at the suspect’s address in Waltham. Evidence found on the suspect’s phone and in his residence helped investigators establish probable cause that he owned the digital account and had possessed and distributed child sex abuse images.
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is being asked to report it to police by calling 911.
Marc Fortier
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