Maine teacher found with child porn arrested www.privateofficer.com
NORTH MONMOUTH ME June 12 2011 — The educator arrested Thursday on charges of possessing child pornography is “sensitive, hard working and compassionate,” according to a neighbor whose children attended school in his classroom.
According to Maine State Police, Christopher B. Brown, 54, of North Monmouth, a fifth-grade teacher at Monmouth Middle School, had sexually explicit images of minors on school-issued laptops stored in the woods behind his house.
The minors do not appear to be children from the school, police say.
Angela Krehbiel-Vancil, who lives across from Brown on Back Street and has an 11-year-old daughter in his homeroom, said Friday that Brown was one of her favorite teachers.
Another of her daughters, now 15, had Brown as a teacher as well.
She said her younger daughter’s class was out of the school Friday on a trip, and that Brown’s class was being covered by another teacher.
“I will say I have never felt unsafe living across from them,” Krehbiel-Vancil said. “It is a very shocking piece of information to gain.”
Police say they were tipped off when a school technical administrator reported close-up pictures of girls’ faces stored on a classroom computer. Upon further questioning, police said Brown admitted he took the pictures and morphed those girls’ heads onto other bodies.
Krehbiel-Vancil said Brown and his family have been supportive neighbors since she has known them. Brown has a wife and two grown children, according to police.
“He has a wife and children and a grandson. Those are the people we need to support,” Krehbiel-Vancil said. “Up to this point, we’re choosing to be neutral.”
In a comment attributed to her on the Bangor Daily News website, Krehbiel-Vancil said she was leery of initial news reports about the alleged crime.
“We need to remember how many times the media has misled us and that at the very least, we should NOT gossip about this for the sake of his family, our community and even for Chris,” she wrote.
In an interview, Krehbiel-Vancil said she stood by the comment and referenced two other commenters who said they were former students of Brown.
“How confusing for them,” Krehbiel-Vancil said. “Mr. Brown is one of my daughter’s favorite teachers.”
Brown was released on bail shortly after the arrest, according to police. The bail bond expected to reach court by next week. Meanwhile, Brown has been placed on administrative leave from the school.
According to Maine Department of Education spokesman David Connerty-Marin, Brown was first licensed to teach in 1983. His current certificate is valid and expires July 1, 2013. He is licensed to teach general elementary school and special education in grades kindergarten through 12.
Connerty-Marin said individuals convicted of offenses similar to what Brown is accused of surrender typically their certificates voluntarily.
A court procedure is available for the department to take the certificate, but that option is rarely used.
According to police, Brown’s bail conditions stipulate that he not have any contact with children younger than 18, and he has been served with a trespass notice preventing him from returning to Monmouth Middle School.
“We could go to court tomorrow, spend a lot of money and duplicate what’s already going on,” Connerty-Marin said. “But we’re not going to do that.”
