Teacher’s Aide Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography
A Phillipsburg Middle School teacher’s aide is under investigation after he was charged with possession of child pornography. Detectives took James Leonarczyk’s personal computer from his home, according to a news report in the New Jersey Star-Ledger. The 40-year-old aide was arrested Friday after officials served a search warrant and confiscated the computer, which reportedly had the pornographic images.
According to officials, their investigation of another computer user in Rhode Island led them to Leonarczyk, the article stated. Detectives are now talking to students and examining Leomarczyk’s demeanor with students and of course the possibility of whether there are any victims. An eighth grade teacher’s aide, Leonarczyk was also a soccer coach outside the school district.
So far, officials say they haven’t found indications of inappropriate behavior or abuse on his park. But they have left the door open for more charges in this case, the article said. Leonarczyk, who has been released on his own recognizance, has been suspended but not removed from his job at the school district. School officials are not releasing any other information because a personnel matter is protected and confidential and not a public record.
Although possession of child pornography may not be as serious a crime as sexual assault, child abuse or rape, it will have serious consequences on your life and career. Anyone of convicted of possession of child pornography will be required to register as a sex offender although it will be under a category not visible to the public as part of the Megan’s Law database.
Such a conviction will also have a serious adverse impact on the convicted person’s career. If you are an educator who has been convicted, it rules out the possibility of you being employed in a school or in proximity to children ever again.
It is also interesting to note how investigators in this case got to the Leonarczyk’s computer. The prosecution must be able to prove that the pornographic material they found in his computer were downloaded by Leonarczyk himself and that he stored them in his computer for his own use. Technology raises several interesting issues in New Jersey criminal defense especially when key evidence in a case involves computers.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a sex crime or possession of child pornography, call Lependorf & Sileverstein for a free consultation.
