Former Douglas County teacher arrested for uploading child porn to social media app

A Douglas County man has been arrested and charged after authorities received cyber tips linking him to the possession of child sexual abuse material.

What we know:

On June 24, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received two alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) involving the social media app Kik. The tips reported a total of 20 videos and two images believed to be child pornography uploaded from two separate user accounts.

Investigators traced the uploads to a Douglas County address using a specific phone number and IP address. A search warrant was executed at the residence, where officers seized multiple electronic devices. Forensic analysis later confirmed the presence of the same videos and images referenced in the cyber tips on one of the devices.

Maverick Austin Beaudreau. Photo courtesy of Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Maverick Austin Beaudreau was arrested and charged with 14 counts of sexual exploitation of children under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 16-12-100(c)).

Why you should care:

Beaudreau recently resigned from a gym teacher and baseball coach position at Praise Christian Academy – a small Kindergarten through 12 school, according to officials. 

Police said it doesn't appear any of the crimes happened at the school or involved any students. 

The school sent a letter home to parents that read, "This is the first time we've heard of any allegations of criminal activity about this former employee and we are not aware that anything criminal took place on school campus."

What's next:

A judge has reportedly denied bond, citing Beaudreau as a flight risk. The case has been forwarded to Douglas County Superior Court.

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