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Elementary teacher accused of possessing child porn
Screenshot of WXIA-TV YouTube video. Pictured: James Andrew "Drew" Cecil

Elementary teacher accused of possessing child porn

An Atlanta-area teacher is facing multiple counts of possessing child pornography after investigators received a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.

On April 14, someone from Washington state contacted the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children regarding the possible online sexual exploitation of a child by a teacher at Poole’s Mill Elementary School in Cumming, Georgia, about 40 miles northeast of the state capital. NCMEC then alerted the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.

An investigation into the NCMEC tip led police to 38-year-old James Andrew "Drew" Cecil, who had been teaching fourth grade at Poole’s Mill Elementary for about two years. He also previously spent five years as a teacher and volleyball coach at North Forsyth High School in the same district.

Cecil was arrested last Friday without incident. He has been charged with nine counts of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child. He was booked into Forsyth County Jail and assessed a bond of $55,200. He has likely been released on bond, as his name no longer appears on jail records. It is unclear when he is expected to appear in court.

Following his arrest, the school district released a statement regarding his job status. "He has not been at school since April 14 when we were made aware of the allegations against him," the statement read in part. "As of April 21, he is no longer employed with Forsyth County Schools."

Some parents learned about the arrest on Monday when they dropped their children off at school. "It's emotional," said one mother. "I'm livid to know this has been going on."

Though none of Cecil's former volleyball players were quoted directly in the following report from WXIA-TV, they generally told reporter Brittany Kleinpeter that they were shocked and saddened by the accusations against Cecil. They said they did not suspect him of anything untoward when he was their coach.

Thus far, few details regarding the investigation have been released. However, officials have stated that none of the alleged victims in the case are students of Forsyth County Schools. The case remains under investigation. The school district has encouraged any parents and former students who may have information about the case to contact the sheriff's office.

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