Alabama District Tells Parents a Teacher Arrested on Child Abuse Material Charges Had Secretly Photographed Students

A former elementary-level STEAM lab teacher in Shelby County, Alabama, who was arrested this week on child sexual abuse material charges also had unauthorized photographs of students in his possession, school officials said in statements reported by WBRC and ABC 33/40. According to WBRC, the 26-year-old was charged with 16 counts of possession with intent to disseminate child sexual abuse material following an investigation by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office that began after investigators received information in early April 2026.

ABC 33/40 reported that the district said in an Oct. 9 statement that the sheriff's office had notified school officials the teacher took photographs of students during classroom activities without their knowledge. The district said the images were not graphic in nature and that it immediately notified and met with the affected students' parents in coordination with law enforcement, according to the station.

WBRC reported that the teacher had worked at the Calera school since early August 2026, that the system placed him on administrative leave when it learned of the Oct. 7 arrest, and that he then resigned rather than being terminated. Authorities told the station they had no reason to believe the explicit material in the case involved local students. The charges have not been tested in court.