Morning News
March 26, 2008
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/03/27/news/032708szchildporn.txt
SPRINGDALE - An elementary teacher at Salem Lutheran School was arrested Wednesday in connection with felony distributing, possessing, or viewing child pornography, said police.
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Richard Smith, 53, of 4077 Glen Stone Terrace, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at the Springdale school was arrested after a tipster told police Smith had images of child pornography on his home computer, according to police.
A news release from the school said Smith was fired as of Wednesday. Smith had been a member of the faculty of Salem Lutheran for three years, according to the release, signed by Jeff Bladdick, church president.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of sexual misconduct or abuse. We are not aware of any incident involving our students, and we are cooperating fully with authorities on any investigation," Bladdick said.
"He said he has not touched any child from the school in an inappropriate manner," said Sgt. Shane Pegram, public information officer with Springdale Police Department.
Police executed a search warrant for Smith's residence. Smith voluntarily came to the Springdale Police Department for questioning and confessed to having images of children, toddlers to preteens, engaged in sexual activity, according to police. He admitted to downloading the images from various Web sites on the Internet over the past six years, police said.
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Smith was transported Wednesday afternoon to Washington County Detention Center.
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