Joshua Weitz, Child Pornography Charges, New Mexico 2015

A suspended Albuquerque Public Schools kindergarten teacher has been arrested on federal child pornography charges after an investigation by the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Joshua Weitz, 39, of Albuquerque, N.M., made his initial appearance in federal court this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with distribution, receipt and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Weitz remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, both of which are scheduled for November 13, 2015.

At the time of the alleged offenses, Weitz was employed as a kindergarten teacher by the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). APS suspended Weitz's employment following his arrest earlier this month on related state charges.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation into Weitz began on October 11, 2015, when an agent of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force identified a computer with a specific IP address that was being used to share child pornography files.

If convicted of the federal distribution or receipt of child pornography charges, Weitz faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. If convicted of the federal possession of child pornography, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory with assistance from the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/suspended-aps-kindergarten-teacher-arrested-federal-child-pornography-charges