Crime & Safety
Charge Added To Former Vernon Teacher's Porn, Voyeurism Case
A former teacher at Rockville High School is still in custody as part of a child porn and voyeurism case, police said.
VERNON, CT — Vernon police have added a risk of injury to a child charge to the case of a former Rockville High School teacher already facing charges in connection with what police are describing as a lengthy child pornography and voyeurism investigation.
Vernon police on Feb. 17 served an arrest warrant on 52-year-old Christian Stevenson.
It's his fifth risk of injury charge in the case involving five warrants. The charge stems from the search of his Vernon home last August during which voyeuristic and pornographic images were seized, police said. Other charges against Stevenson include possessing child pornography, importing child pornography, eight counts of voyeurism, nine counts of disorderly conduct and four counts of voyeurism with a child younger than 16.
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A tampering charge was added in November.
He has been in custody since his arrest in October on bonds totaling $175,000 after an additional $25,000 from last week's warrant. Stevenson is due back in court on March 18, records show.
Find out what's happening in Vernonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Vernon Patch requested, pursuant to Connecticut Freedom of Information Law, access to Stevenson's school system disciplinary records and the file shows no prior infractions. He submitted a letter of resignation from his teaching job Sept. 15, the day school officials were notified of the investigation, records show.
According to heavily redacted arrest warrants, Vernon police began the investigation after being tipped off by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about illicit images being downloaded via email accounts traced to Stevenson.
According t0 the warrants, some of the voyeuristic images were of clothed female students, taken without their knowledge. Though they were not pornographic in nature, they were clearly taken in places like classrooms, hallways, the library and at events, according to the warrants. A zoom lens was often used, according to the warrants.
He is also identified as a coach in the warrants.
"Hundreds" of photos were taken inside the high school, according to warrants.
Police continue to investigate and ask that anyone with information about the incident call Vernon Police Detective Thomas Van Tasel at 860-872-9126.
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