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31-year-old Charles Allen Kirkland was charged by the Westmoreland County district attorney's office with five felony charges for child pornography, disseminating photos/films of child sex acts, and criminal use of a communication facility, according to court documents.
Pennsylvania state police received a Cyber Tipline Report through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children network of the activity being uploaded by a Google account linked to Kirkland, according to a release from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.
"State troopers reported that some, if not all of the videos, depicted children under the age of 18," as stated in the release by the DA's office.
Police conducted a warranted search of his home in Derry Township where they found the electronics with matching IP addresses, court records show.
Kirkland was arrested at his home that same morning, Monday, Dec. 12, according to court documents.
He has been a "Business Teacher" in the Homer-Center School District since 2016, he formerly was a substitute teacher at Derry Area School District, and worked in various roles at the following schools: Greater Latrobe Junior High School, Jeannette McKee K-8 School, Gateway High School, Greensburg-Salem High School, according to the Homer-Center's website.
Prior to becoming an educator, Kirkland worked at the Indiana County Courthouse for eight years in the Treasurer’s Office as Part-Time Clerk, as detailed on the school's website.
He also previously wrote for TribLive.
Kirkland was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond and his preliminary hearing is scheduled before Magisterial District Judge Kelly Tua Hammers Dec. 21 at 10:30 a.m., according to his court docket.
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