Former Apple Valley teacher arrested, accused again of child porn

A former Apple Valley teacher who was accused last year of possessing child pornography has been arrested again on suspicion of committing a similar crime.

Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested Kenneth Sockwell, 64, on suspicion of distributing child pornography.

He was booked into county jail in lieu of $25,000 bail and is scheduled for a court hearing Monday.

Sockwell was the longtime band director at the Academy for Academic Excellence before being arrested in October 2021.

Staff there said they had found a hidden camera at the Apple Valley campus and Sockwell was identified as the suspect, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Mara Rodriguez, a sheriff’s spokesperson, said Sockwell’s recent arrest, however, was “a new case and does not involve any of the students at the school.” The 20-year educator was terminated following his arrest.

Sockwell was never charged with a crime after the October arrest, according to a spokesperson with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.

“At that time, there was insufficient evidence for our office to prove beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Jacquelyn Rodriguez.

Sockwell was arrested as part of an operation held by the FBI’s Inland Regional Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with members of law enforcement agencies in San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties.

“Subjects of these investigations reside in both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and are believed to be exploiting children by producing child sexual abuse material through sextortion or coercion or continuing the abuse by distributing child sexual abuse material,” the sheriff’s department said. “The task force fosters a victim-centered approach and prosecutes at both the state and federal levels.”

Operation Inland Regional Round-up led to the arrests of two other High Desert men: Johnny Blevins, 85, and Christian Tinajero, 24, both of Victorville.

Blevins and Tinajero are suspected of possessing child pornography. Blevins has a court date scheduled for Monday. Tinajero was released on bail Thursday.

Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Former Apple Valley teacher arrested, accused again of child porn