An Alexandria elementary school teacher has been accused of downloading child pornography.
Federal prosecutors in Alexandria said 35-year-old Justin Coleman, a fourth-grade dual-language teacher at John Adams Elementary School, was arrested and charged Thursday with receiving child pornography.
Coleman has taught in the school district since 2005 and has been placed on paid administrative leave, schools spokeswoman Kelly Alexander said.
Court documents say investigators interviewed Coleman and searched his Falls Church home on Wednesday. He told them that he has been viewing pornography online for a long time and “downloads what interests him.” Coleman said he prefers girls ages 5 to 12, the documents said.
When agents searched his home, they found several pairs of underwear for young girls, according to court records. Coleman initially told investigators that he bought the underwear at Target.
Alexander said she was not aware of any past complaints about inappropriate conduct by Coleman. She said classes had been dismissed for the day when the district learned of the charges, but officials were working to notify parents through phone calls and e-mails.
