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A courageous student is being praised in Stafford County after stepping up and helping expose a paraprofessional accused of secretly filming kids at an elementary school.
On March 18, a student at Conway Elementary School told a teacher that a staff member had been “acting inappropriately” toward another student, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said.
That tip sparked a fast-moving investigation by the school’s resource officer and the Special Victims Unit, leading to the arrest of 56-year-old Eric Van Orden of Stafford.
Van Orden, a paraprofessional at the school, was arrested on campus Thursday, March 19.
He was charged with 19 felony counts and one misdemeanor count of unlawful creation of the image of another after detectives determined he allegedly did take inappropriate photos and videos of unsuspecting juvenile students.
He’s being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
Officials credited the student’s actions for bringing the case to light, and said they plan to formally recognize him.
“The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is extremely proud of the young man that alerted adults to this crime,” they said in a statement. “We plan to recognize him for his actions.”
Detectives are working to identify and notify the victims. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact him at 540-658-4400.
Sheriff’s officials said they are working closely with Stafford County Public Schools to ensure students get the support they need.
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