ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A former teacher at a middle school in the Affton School District was charged with possession of child pornography Tuesday.
Scott Ellis, a 36-year-old St. Louis County man, was charged with counts of possession of child pornography after St. Louis County police investigated a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Police said Ellis was a teacher at Rogers Middle School.
In a statement, the Affton School District said Ellis worked at Rogers Middle School between August 2019 and May 2022.
The district said it is cooperating with the St. Louis County Police Department's investigation.
In a press release, police said Ellis downloaded and possessed thousands of videos of child pornography in the last year.
Police said Ellis stored the videos on a Google account registered under his full name.
His phone number was also linked to the account, the listed date of birth matched his and two other email addresses that included his name in them were listed as alternatives on the account.
Police said some of the files were marked with the names of the minor victims in the videos. Police said the victims in the videos were pre-adolescent.
St. Louis County police did not indicate that any students at the school were victims.
Child safety advocates like Amy Robins say the statistics are concerning and changing.
"We know that 90% of the sexual abuse, in particular, is done by somebody that the child likes, loves, or lives with. Someone who is not a stranger. However, those statistics are really decreasing only because the online exploitation components are increasing so quickly," Robins, a forensic services program director for The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri, Inc. said.
Ellis is being held on a $750,000, cash-only bond.
To report a crime to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, visit their CyberTipline online.
The full statement from the Affton School District is as follows:
"St. Louis (October 4, 2022) - Today, St. Louis County Police arrested a former Rogers Middle School teacher, and district administrators were notified that this individual has been charged with six counts of possession of child pornography.
"We are deeply troubled by any report alleging that a former employee may have engaged in inappropriate behavior. Our schools are places where students should always feel safe, and we take any allegation of misconduct by a staff member, either current or former, very seriously. While state and federal confidentiality laws prohibit the district from sharing protected information about staff members or students, it is important for our families and community to know that we are committed to the safety and welfare of all Affton students, and will remain so going forward.
"The former teacher charged in this case has not worked in the Affton School District during the 2022-23 school year. They worked at Rogers Middle School between August 2019 and May 2022.
"A recent concern was brought to the district in regard to potential inappropriate conduct by this former employee earlier this month. At that time, district administrators investigated the situation and immediately filed a report with the Division of Children’s Services in compliance with Missouri law. We have been in full cooperation with St. Louis County Police and will continue to provide any information or assistance they request. If additional relevant information becomes available, the district and authorities will disclose those details as appropriate or permitted by law."
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