A Florida high school special education teacher, soccer coach, and church youth leader face 408 charges for possession of child pornography.
Authorities uncovered hundreds of illegal images of children involved in sexual activities on Shawn Fitzgerald’s phone.
According to Polk County Sheriff Gray Judd, the children involved were as young as ten months old and showed them being sexually abused by adults and sexual acts between children.
Fitzgerald does not appear to be the photographer for the images, and it doesn’t seem he’s personally injured a child, the New York Post reports.
Still, the 46-year-old taught at Lakeland High School will more than likely face his day in court for the 408 charges.
“We are shocked and disgusted by these charges. 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,” said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd in a statement to local television station WFLA.
“We are cooperating fully with the investigation to ensure justice is served, and we are in the process of terminating this employee.”
As for the First United Methodist Church in Bartow, where he was a youth director, “We are saddened to learn of the arrest of Shawn Fitzgerald, youth director at First UMC, Bartow. Upon notification of his arrest, he was placed on unpaid administrative leave. We have no knowledge of any inappropriate conduct by Mr. Fitzgerald with anyone associated with First UMC. “We have a strict Child and Youth Protection Policy that we continue to enforce. It is our understanding that the police investigation is on-going. Our prayers are will with all involved in this situation.”
He is being held on a $2 million bail.
