CMS, school unaware of child porn investigation before teacher’s arrest, officials say
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools did not know about the criminal investigation into a Community House Middle School teacher until his arrest on child pornography charges Tuesday, a district spokesman told the Observer.
Adrian Wayne Taylor, 47, was arrested at his Matthews home and charged with three felony counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police confirmed in a news release Wednesday.
A CMPD and FBI investigation began on Nov. 24, 2021, according to the release. A Mecklenburg magistrate’s order shows the offenses started Nov. 2.
Taylor, who teaches journalism and debate at the Ballantyne area school, used the BitTorrent file-sharing program to distribute a “visual representation” of a girl between the ages of 7 and 10 years old “engaged in sexual activity,“ according to the order.
CMS spokesman Patrick Smith and Community House principal Brian Slattery said neither the school nor the district had prior knowledge of the investigation.
Superintendent Earnest Winston, upon learning of the charges Tuesday, ordered Taylor’s suspension with pay, effective immediately, Smith told the Observer in an email.
Slattery, in a message to families Wednesday, said administrators and counselors met with journalism and debate students but didn’t discuss details about the investigation.
“It was important that we acknowledged the situation with students,” he said in the message.
Counseling has been made available to individual students, according to Slattery.
“It is my goal to provide our students with a consistent school experience while limiting disruption to their class,” he said.
The warrant for Taylor’s arrest is sealed “due to the nature of the crime,” the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court told the Observer.
Taylor was taken into custody and released on bond, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s website.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 3:27 PM.
