Teacher arrested for alleged possession of child porn

A Goddard School teacher was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, the Pennsylvania State Police announced Friday.

State police said Tyler Smith, 25, of West Chester, was charged Friday with possession and distribution of child pornography as well as criminal use of a communication facility. Smith was employed at the Goddard School daycare in West Bradford Township as a teacher and caretaker for the last two years, according to state police.

Pennsylvania State Police began the investigation after a cyber tip complaint was received in August by the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. State police said in a press release that the tip detailed that the online social media service “Tumblr” had reported a user uploading depictions of child pornography. Tumblr provided the contraband images and logs, reportedly showing the alleged suspect’s IP address. The upload was found to have allegedly occurred at Smith’s residence in West Bradford Township, according to state police.

An investigation was then initiated by the Pennsylvania State Police, Computer Crime Unit. This unit, along with members from the Embreeville and Avondale stations of the state police, executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence. Following the search and subsequent investigation, state police said Smith was taken into custody on Thursday at his place of employment.

“As an organization dedicated entirely to serving and caring for children, we were devastated to learn of these allegations,” Wendy Cohen, owner-operator of the Goddard School in Marshallton, said when reached for comment. “We want to assure you that our school is fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. The staterequired background check and clearances were performed when this individual was hired, which he passed. He is no longer employed by our school.”

The Goddard School in the Village of Marshallton in the West Chester area provides a preschool program. According to its website, it is the first Goddard School that opened and they are housed in a historic 100-year-old building. The school serves families in the West Chester, Downingtown, East Fallowfield and Romansville areas.

“Our first priority, every day, is to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in our care,” Cohen said. “We are committed to creating a safe and nurturing environment by consistently implementing best practices in hiring, background checks and overall faculty development.”

Smith was arraigned Thursday by Magisterial District Judge Bret Binder. According to state police and his online criminal report, Smith remains incarcerated in the Chester County Prison, unable to post bail set at 10 percent of $50,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled on Sept. 14 in front of Binder. Smith does not have a lawyer listed, according to his online criminal report.

State police ask that anyone

with additional information related to this investigation contact Trooper Jason Sperrazza, PSP Embreeville Barracks of the Criminal Investigation Unit, at 610-486-6280.