Wethersfield Principal Accused of Taking Secret Photos of Kids at Wal-Mart Applies for Special Probation: Report

WETHERSFIELD, CT — A Wethersfield elementary school principal accused to trying to take secret pictures of children at a Hartford Wal-Mart has applied for a special form of probation, the Hartford Courant reported.

John Bean, 46, of West Hartford, the principal at Wethersfield's Highcrest Elementary School, was placed on administrative shortly after his Sept. 24 arrest, school officials said. Highcrest serves students in kindergarten through Grade 6, according to the school system's Web site.

According to a Hartford police report, Bean was arrested at 1:05 p.m. that Saturday at 495 Flatbush Ave., the address of the area Wal-Mart.

He was charged with interfering and second-degree breach of peace.

According to a police report, an uniformed officer assigned to the Wal-Mart was called into the store by security staffers because they had been watching a man, later identified as Bean, walking through several aisles.

Bean had no cart and appeared not to be shopping, but following children with his phone camera and then taking pictures of them when their mothers traveled out of the photo frames, police said in the report.

He was concealing his phone with a toy package, according to the report.

Bean was then arrested based partly on the store security camera evidence, according to the report.

Bean had a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday. The special probation is called accelerated rehabilitation and, if granted, Bean's record could eventually be wiped clean if he adheres to special conditions.

Photo Credit: Hartford police