Lincoln man is accused of child porn possession
LINCOLN – A Lincoln man who teaches music in the North Providence School District was arrested Thursday and charged with possession of child pornography, according to Rhode Island State Police.
Anthony L. Martin, 52, of 255 Central St., Lincoln, was arraigned Thursday in 6th District Court in Providence where he was held on a $5,000 surety bond and ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children and restricted use of the internet. He did not enter a plea and was referred to the public defender’s office.
State police said they searched Martin’s Central Street home, where they discovered that an internet connection was being used to access child pornography. Investigators said they identified Martin as the alleged owner of digital media used to possess the child pornography.
Martin is employed as an elementary school music teacher in North Providence at Stephen Olney Elementary School and at Centredale Elementary School.
“Martin has been a music and band teacher for over 25 years, including tenures in Providence, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida,” state police said in a news
release. “Martin has been with the North Providence Schools since 1997 and he has taught at both the elementary and middle school level.”
North Providence School Superintendent Joseph Goho said in a message to parents that there is no evidence that any students in the dis
trict were involved and that Martin was placed on leave
“Please be advised that we were contacted this morning by the Rhode Isand State Police and informed that an elementary teacher in our school system has been arrested for possession of child pornography,” the district said in an email sent to parents.
“Fortunately, the state police report that there is no evidence at this time that any of our students are involved. The teacher has been placed on immediate indefinite leave pending further investigation.”