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Fairfield schools employee charged with possession of child porn

Peter Wheeler was removed from having any further interactions with students and staff and not permitted into any buildings.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — An employee with the Fairfield school system was arrested for allegedly having child pornography on several digital devices in his home, police announced Tuesday.

Peter Wheeler, Jr., 23, of Fairfield, was arrested after an investigation allegedly discovered he had saved child pornography on several digital devices in his home. He was arrested Tuesday.

The investigation began in November 2023 when Connecticut State Police notified the Fairfield Police Department that it had received a tip involving a potential possession of child pornography in Fairfield.

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The investigation centered around Wheeler, who police said was an employee of the Fairfield Public School System. A Facebook page linked to Wheeler said he was a paraeducator for the public school system.

Police said school administrators were notified that Wheeler was under investigation when they discovered he was a public school employee earlier this month. They said Wheeler was immediately removed from having any interactions with students and staff and not permitted into any school buildings.

On Jan. 11, police searched Wheeler’s home in Fairfield. Several digital devices found there were examined and revealed “evidence supporting a charge of possession of child pornography.”

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In its press release, Fairfield police did not elaborate on what were the digital devices or what evidence was discovered.

Wheeler was said to be cooperative throughout the entire investigation, according to police.

On Tuesday, Wheeler was arrested and is being held on a $250,000 bond. He is set to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Feb. 6.

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Fairfield police Chief Robert Kalamaras said in a statement that his department is committed to “working tirelessly to investigate and address any actions that threaten the safety of our community, particularly those involving individuals in positions of trust.”

“We appreciate the collaboration with the Fairfield Public Schools and our law enforcement partners in this matter and are committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and transparency,” he added.

FOX61 has reached out to Fairfield Public Schools for a comment. It was not immediately clear how long Wheeler had been employed with the school system or his current employment status.

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