Marion County Student Teacher Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
Comments Below: 3
Ben Walker worked as student teacher in the first and fifth grade classes at Monteagle Elementary School until he arrested on child pornography charges this past Friday. Marion County School Superintendent Mark Griffith explained what happened: "He was escorted out of the school on Friday somewhere around 2:00pm by the Winchester Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Middle Tennessee State University student would have gotten his teaching certificate in a few months. "He underwent a background check by the FBI, TBI and the NCIC by the Marion County Board of Education as well as one he went through by Middle Tennessee State University and it all came back clear," said Griffith. "An interview process didn't get it. Unfortunately it's not stamped on their foreheads. It's just something you have to put trust in." IT specialists checked every computer at the school and did not find anything. The child pornography images were all found on Walker's personal computer in his Franklin County home. The FBI operation was so hush-hush some parents didn't know anything about it until today when they read about it in the school newsletter. Dewayne Rollins has a daughter at Monteagle Elementary. "She gets out early, I walk in and sign her out. I mean it was just shocking to me to walk in surprised," he said of learning about what happened. The teachers Walker worked with were blind-sided, too. Alicia Fagin has a daughter in one of Walker's Classes. "It's just a shame that people are like that in this world and we've got some good police officers that managed to catch him before something bad happened to our children," she said. The Board of Education held an informational meeting for parents Monday morning at the Monteagle Library.
Marion County Student Teacher
Submitted by Guest (not verified) on April 20, 2009 - 9:09pm.
As a parent of 2 children that attend Monteagle Elementary, I was concerned about the rumors surrounding the student teacher. One of my children was in an assigned class of Mr. Walker, and now I am more concerned with the truth. Yes, we are very lucky that Law Enforcement did a wonderful job of investigating and removing him from the school. The impromptu meeting that the Board of Education held Monday morning was not attended by many parents because like myself, many of the families were not aware that there was going to be a meeting. A letter came home Monday afternoon with my children that somewhat explained the succession of events, but I think everyone will rest a little easier now that the person is no longer in contact with any children.
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I can't believe it!
Submitted by Shalon Mooney (not verified) on April 20, 2009 - 7:58pm.
I am in the 6th grade at Monteagle Elementary and it just shocked me when I heard this. We would see him walk down the halls and he would talk to us and everything.It's hard to believe that someone would even want to do things like that!Especially someone who wanted to be a teacher! Thank-you!
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South Pittsburg Band Director
I want to know, as I'm sure many others do, what happened to the former band director, Gene Walsh, at South Pittsburg High School? He resigned and was taken by the FBI in one day last fall, leaving their band program to just rot away (luckily, some volunteers held down the fort until a replacement was hired.)
Like many sad stories these days, we are just expected to forget the whole thing happened in the first place. I've heard rumors that his home computer was confiscated, but how do we know for certain that something didn't happen to any of his students?!