A Kenton County man was arrested on Wednesday on numerous charges connected to child pornography. Fort Thomas Independent Schools previously employed him as a band assistant.
According to a post on the police department’s Facebook page, Matthew Schnapp, 22, was taken into custody in Independence following a report that investigators from the Kenton County Police Department received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
According to the article, NCMEC alerted the department about pictures of child pornography being uploaded online.
Internet service providers are required by law to report any suspicious photos or videos that they believe to be child pornography, according to Aaron Schihl, a public information officer for Kenton County Police. “The Center for Missing and Exploited Children is how they do that.”
More evidence of child pornography was found during a search of Schnapp’s house, according to Schihl.
Schihl declared, “We take internet crimes against children very seriously.” It’s sometimes said that this is a victimless crime, however that is untrue. Every time a child is shown a still image by someone else, the child is victimized again.
According to a post on the police department’s Facebook page, investigators were able to identify Schnapp as the owner of the accounts that included the photographs.
On August 28, Schnapp was taken into custody following a search of his Harvest Hill subdivision residence.
Superintendent Brian Robinson informed pupils via email on Wednesday that Schnapp was no longer employed by the district.
The email stated, “Kenton County Police arrested and charged Matthew Schnapp, an assistant within the marching band program.” “Our district sent a letter of termination to Mr. Schnapp with immediate effect after learning of the charges.
“As of right now, we are unaware of any student in our school system who has been harmed by the alleged criminal behavior.”
Schnapp is accused of several things:
- 30 charges for having material that shows a juvenile under the age of 12 engaging in sexual activity.
- 30 charges of disseminating content that shows a child under 12 engaging in sexual activity.
After being brought to the Kenton County Detention Center, Schnapp was given a cash bond of $25,000. He will be placed under electronic surveillance if he is compensated.