MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A Musselman High School teacher and athletic trainer has been charged related to the discovery of child pornography and child erotica, according to West Virginia State Police.
Douglas Wilson was charged with felony distribution and exhibition of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and with a misdemeanor for child erotica, according to a state police news release issued Thursday afternoon.
Wilson was released on a $9,000 cash/surety bond after seeing a magistrate.
Immediately upon being made aware of the allegations that occurred away from school, Berkeley County Schools officials put Wilson, a science teacher at Musselman High, on administrative leave on Oct. 18, according to information from the school system.
“Berkeley County Schools has cooperated fully with law enforcement in their investigation,” Elaine Bobo, Berkeley County Schools’ communications director, said in an email sent Thursday.
Wilson also was a contract employee, providing after-hours athletic services through a private company, Bobo said.
The high school began communicating with families about the matter on Oct. 21, she said.
“To our knowledge, allegations occurred outside of the school environment,” Bobo said in the emailed statement. Guidance counseling services are available at the school if any students or employees need them.
“State and federal privacy laws restrict further comment on this personnel matter,” Bobo said.
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State Police Sgt. JD See received notice on Oct. 17 of a Musselman High teacher/athletic trainer disclosing to “BCS” investigator Ellwanger about being “scammed,” the release states. The BCS investigator, on Oct. 18, was interviewed and told state police Wilson “confided in him about being scammed after viewing pornography of ‘younger’ persons,” the release states.
State police executed a search warrant at Wilson’s home, finding and seizing laptop computers, the release states.
A forensic exam “confirmed the presence of child pornography and child erotica,” the release states. An arrest warrant was issued by a magistrate.
On Wednesday, See and troopers from the Martinsburg barrack went to Artillery Way and arrested Wilson, the release states.
Berkeley County Schools contracts Eastern Panhandle Instructional Cooperative for investigative services provided by Ellwanger, according to the school system’s emailed statement. The school system also partners with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office for three resource officers and with the Martinsburg Police Department for one resource officer.
Musselman High is at 126 Excellence Way in Inwood.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Berkeley County teacher/athletic trainer charged related to child porn
