CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Sickening and upsetting...
That's how one parent describes how she feels after she learned her child's 6th grade teacher at Deep Creek Middle School was charged with possession of child pornography.
"It just makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it," Brandi, a parent who has a student at Deep Creek Middle School, said.
Watch: Chesapeake teacher arrested on 4 child porn charges; accused of taking pictures of student
Brandi said her daughter was enrolled in Jordan Palomares' class until earlier this week when the 25-year-old was charged with four felony counts of having child pornography.
"How dare you, you're supposed to be a teacher, protecting our kids, you're supposed to be someone we can trust with our kids," Brandi said.
According to court documents, in June, Palomares allegedly sent three videos of child pornography via Snapchat.
After Palomares was arrested police found a hidden folder on his laptop containing images of a student taken on September 23 that appeared to be taken without her knowledge.
Watch: Deep Creek Middle School students compete in an international robotics competition
"I mean it's shocking and the kids what it did to the kids they can't even go into his classroom now because all of them are just, everything is playing back in their head is just creepy, and just lord help us is all I have to say," Brandi said.
On Thursday the district superintendent emailed parents at Deep Creek Middle School.
He explained Tuesday was the first time police reached out to the school division on the matter.
Dear Deep Creek Middle School Families,
There has been some discussion in the media about an employee at Deep Creek Middle School who has been arrested for possession of child pornography. I want to provide some clarification about the recent timeline of events to ensure you have accurate information.
On the afternoon of October 1, 2024, Chesapeake Public Schools (CPS) was notified of the charges and arrest resulting from the execution of a search warrant that morning. Upon receiving this information, the teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave. The October 1, 2024, notification was the first time law enforcement communicated with the school system about this matter.
As part of our commitment to student safety, all CPS employees undergo comprehensive evaluation prior to employment. This includes fingerprinting through the Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), as well as the Virginia Department of Social Services Central Registry background check for school personnel.
This matter is part of an ongoing police investigation, and CPS is fully cooperating with law enforcement. While we understand that this news is unsettling, please be assured that the safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities.
We appreciate your understanding and continued support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jared A. Cotton
Superintendent
Watch: Former VBPD officer pleads guilty to committing sex crimes against child
Brandi said while the incidents took place in the summer she feels the school division acted accordingly based on what they knew at the time.
"Yes they didn't email us until the next day but they had certain criteria they had to go through first before releasing information," Brandi said. "The principal emailed us at 10:45 they've been apologetic, they've been understanding, and they do care about the kids"
According to court documents, Palomares has a court hearing on Friday at 9 a.m.
