LAND O’ LAKES, Florida — A Pasco County elementary school teacher and summer bible school teacher is facing several criminal charges related to child sexual abuse material, according to state prosecutors.
FDLE Special Agent in Charge, Mark Brutnell, says that the investigation began after his agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on Friday.
Investigators were able to verify that Joseph Watson was the potential owner of the social media account with the illegal material.
On Monday, FDLE agents met with Watson at Oakstead Elementary School where he worked as a music teacher. He was also a summer bible school teacher at Grace Lutheran Church in Carrollwood.
During the interview, Watson admitted to owning the account that sent and received the child pornography.
What they’re saying
“These criminals, these lowlifes that commit these crimes are in every facet of our community,” said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, who joined Brutnell during the news conference. “When you hear it’s a school teacher…your heart drops, your jaw drops, because our children are there and that is the utmost thing we can do is protect our children.”
“It’s hard to find a more depraved example of someone who betrayed the local community’s trust than Mr. Watson,” added Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, in a statement on social media. “My prosecutors will bring down the full weight of the law on this predator.”
Investigators said they don’t believe Watson’s actions involved any children at the school or his church. They also don’t believe he produced the content himself.
Pasco County school officials have informed the parents and students of the arrest, and they are asking them to reach out if they have any concerns about Watson’s behavior around their child.
“If these individuals on the internet think they can hide, keep distributing it, keep producing it, keep selling it. We are out there, and we will catch you,” Brutnell said. “Whether it’s 1.2 million or one. One is too many, so we will be out there on the internet trying to protect the most vulnerable.”
Watson is a 24-year employee of Pasco County schools, having been hired in 2001.
Local perspective
Dr. Toni Zetzsche, a spokesperson for the school district, told FOX 13 that the safety and well-being of its students are top priorities.
“I want to assure you that law enforcement and Employee Relations are involved, and acted immediately to ensure the individual is no longer on campus and has no further contact with students. I sincerely understand how troubling this news may be, and we will work to provide care and support to students and staff on campus. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students remains our highest priority. This continues to be an active investigation, and if you have any information that may assist law enforcement, we encourage you to contact FDLE at (800) 226-1140.”
Rev. Jennifer Michael, Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, also sent FOX 13 a statement.
“It is with heavy hearts that Grace Lutheran Church acknowledges the recent reports of the arrest a member of our congregation, Mr. Joe Watson, on charges related to child pornography. Grace Lutheran Church is committed to the safety and well-being of all members of our congregation, especially our children and youth. At this time we have no record indicating that Mr. Watson has participated in any unsupervised volunteer roles within our youth ministries or had direct individual interaction with any of our youth. As a community of faith, we lean on the words of Psalm 34:18: ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ We pray for God to provide wisdom, peace, and healing in the days ahead.”
What’s next
There could be more charges to come as investigators are still in the process of downloading images off of devices that Watson owns.
If convicted, Watson faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison. He is currently being held in the Pasco County Jail.
Charges
- Two counts of possession of child pornography
- Two counts of promotion of child pornography
- Two counts of use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony
SOURCE: Information for this story was provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
