A Keystone Oaks teacher accused of having child pornography on his cellphone turned himself in to police Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Thomas Duxbury, 32, of Wilkins, is charged with four counts of child sex abuse after police said he possessed and disseminated child pornography. He also faces one count of criminal communications.
Duxbury was arraigned Wednesday morning and released without having to post bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 23.
A criminal complaint filed in the case said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip from Snapchat about a user uploading videos of suspected child pornography in May 2021. Police said they traced the username to an email account and linked that account to Duxbury.
The complaint said investigators searched Duxbury’s home in April 2022 and turned his cellphone over to the FBI’s child exploitation task force. An analysis of the phone turned up nearly 100 photos and videos containing suspected child pornography.
“No one can see my phone,” Duxbury allegedly wrote in a messaging app to another user. “I’d get in major trouble lolol.”
Duxbury worked as a music teacher in the middle and high schools at Keystone Oaks, the district said.
Superintendent William Stropkaj said in a statement that Duxbury has been on leave since April 22 when the district became aware of the investigation, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV.
Stropkaj said that to his knowledge, no Keystone Oaks students were involved in Duxbury’s alleged illegal activities.
