A fourth-grade school teacher at Sandpiper Shores Elementary School has been charged with possession of child pornography according to Palm Beach County police. Thirty-seven-year-old Aleck Ford is facing charges of possessing 10 or more images of child pornography and evidence tampering.
Police say they tracked down Ford after he downloaded files from a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. At last one of these movies involved bondage and an adult apparently abusing a child. Police were able to track the IP address to Ford’s residence where they executed a search warrant.
According to police, it took Ford five minutes to respond to their knocking. Inside his apartment, they found multiple devices including a laptop that had a file that matched the name of the video. Police also discovered a thumb drive Ford had attempted to discard in the toilet. They were able to restore the drive and uncovered 31 images of child pornography.
Prosecution Gets $220,000 Bond
Based on the severity of the charges, the prosecution was able to successfully argue that Ford should be held in lieu of a $220,000 bond for the images and videos found on his electronic devices. He was given an extra $10,000 for trying to destroy evidence. His defense attorneys noted that Ford had never been arrested and does not have a criminal record. The judge was not sympathetic to this argument.
If Ford posts bond, he will be required to wear an ankle monitor and stay away from minors. The school at which he worked said that Ford was “reassigned” pending the results of the investigation.
Child Pornography Prosecutions
Each individual file can be prosecuted as its own separate offense. The law allows prosecutors to charge based on the number of images found. In this case, because between 10 and 100 images were found, Ford will face a single count of possession of more than ten images of child pornography. Ford can further face charges related to the sadomasochistic quality of at least one of the videos found in his possession. An aggravated child pornography charge triggers mandatory minimums and has a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Ford faces 10 or more counts of child pornography possession. The sentence will have a base minimum of 12 months and each additional charge adds four months in prison. Additionally, Ford can face a charge of possession of child pornography and aggravated child pornography charges. He’s looked at a long time behind bars.
Talk to a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Attorney
If you’ve been charged with a serious crime, call the West Palm Beach criminal attorneys at The Skier Law Firm, P.A. so we can begin preparing your defense immediately.
Resource:
wpbf.com/article/palm-beach-county-teacher-arrested-on-child-porn-charges-officials-say/33926914