Elementary teacher accused of having hundreds of child porn photos, videos in NC home
An elementary school teacher is accused of having hundreds of photos and videos of child pornography in his North Carolina home.
Now, the 41-year-old is facing multiple child sex crime charges, according to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.
Clinton Jones was working at Ansonville Elementary School when officials reported receiving tips about explicit materials he reportedly possessed. State investigators said they were asked to help with the case in late December and found hundreds of explicit pictures and videos on “smartphones, computers and media storage devices in Jones’ possession at his home” in Wadesboro.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation in a news release didn’t list an attorney for Jones, who was arrested last week.
On Jan. 5, Anson County Schools said Jones resigned from his teaching position. There’s no indication that students in the district were linked to the charges the teacher faced, officials said.
“We currently have no reason to believe that any Anson County Schools students have been involved or affected,” the district wrote in a news release. “We do understand, however, that this is an ongoing investigation.”
Anson County Schools, based roughly 50 miles southeast of Charlotte, said Jones started working as a substitute teacher in 2011 and transitioned to a full-time role with the district in 2013.
Jones was identified as a suspect after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children heard from the messaging app Kik in December 2020 and March 2021 “regarding child sexual exploitation material,” investigators said. State officials joined the case at the request of the Anson County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said Jones was charged with 18 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation and released on bond. Under North Carolina law, a person can be accused of that crime “if, knowing the character or content of the material, he possesses material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaging in sexual activity.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Elementary teacher accused of having hundreds of child porn photos, videos in NC home."
