Arlington Public Schools Extended Day employee shows pornography to 3 juvenile victims

Sylvia Mphofe
·1 min read
5

ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. - Arlington Public Schools Extended Day employee has been arrested after allegedly showing pornography to elementary school children.

<div>Matthew Pineda, 18, of Fairfax County. Photo via Farifax Co</div>
Matthew Pineda, 18, of Fairfax County. Photo via Farifax Co

The suspect has been identified as 18-year-old Matthew Pineda of Fairfax County, Virginia.

According to police, they received information that an Arlington Public Schools Extended Day employee assigned to Abingdon Elementary School displayed pornography to three juvenile victims and immediately initiated a criminal investigation.

FOX 5 has confirmed that the three juvenile victims are elementary school-aged.

Pineda has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and assault and battery. He is being held without bond in Arlington County.

Lesley Oot is the parent of a 2nd-grade student.

"That’s really scary, upsetting. These types of difficult situations happen, and you just hope that people deal with it quickly and responsibly," Oot said. "It does sound as if they already arrested the person. Hopefully, that is the case. It’s very upsetting and nerve-wracking to hear about something happening in our schools. You never think it can happen in your own backyard, but I guess that’s the sad truth."

Police continue to search for any additional victims.

The letter Abingdon Elementary School sent home to families is below:

Dear Abingdon Families,

Following a report of a small group of students being shown inappropriate materials at the Extended Day Program by a staff member, I wanted to let you know that a former Extended Day staff member has been arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography and Assault & Battery. As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, we took immediate steps to ensure the safety of the students in the Extended Day program which included removing the employee.

Our first concern is with the safety of our students. School officials continue to cooperate with Child Protective Services and law enforcement during the ongoing investigation.  While I recognize that you may have additional questions, this is a personnel and law enforcement matter and we cannot provide any further details.


The full ACPD release is available online.

Anyone with past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact Detective R. Munizza atrmunizza@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-4171.

Please know that the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. Our Student Services Team is available to support our students.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Sincerely,

David Horak,
Principal