Published: Aug 31, 2007 9:03 AM EST
ERIE, Pa. (AP) - An elementary school teacher was charged with possessing child pornography after police said they found 55 images on the computer he used at school.
Michael P. Widger, 36, of Erie, had already been fired by Millcreek Township School District. He was freed on bond after his arraignment Thursday.
Police said Widger told them he sometimes used his computer at Grandview Elementary School for personal reasons. Asked why he did an Internet search for terms including "transgender," Widger told police that a transgender parent was coming to the school for a meeting and he wanted to send other faculty a joke about it.
The Associated Press could not immediately locate a phone number Widger and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
School officials had already suspended, then fired, Widger for violating the district's computer-use policy. But that activity was not directly related to the criminal charges.
Widger has filed a grievance to challenge his firing, but his state teacher's license would automatically be revoked if he is convicted. Perhacs said the district will fight Widger's efforts to get his job back even if he is acquitted of the criminal charges
Child porn charges against former Erie County teacher dismissed
The Associated Press
ERIE, Pa. - A district judge in Erie County says there's not enough evidence to order a former teacher to stand trial on child porn charges.
District Attorney Brad Foulk disagrees and says he expects to refile charges against 36-year-old Michael Widger as early as next week.
The Millcreek Township School District fired Widger shortly after his arrest in August. Widger's lawyer says his client is innocent. He says prosecutors failed to show that Widger used the computer when the pornography was accessed
Erie DA refiles child porn charges against former teacher
- The Associated Press
ERIE, Pa. — Just days after a district judge ruled there wasn't enough evidence to try a former teacher on child porn charges, prosecutors refiled the charges and asked for a new district judge to hear the case.
http://www.goerie.com
Shortly after charges against Michael P. Widger were refiled Friday, his lawyer, Damon Hopkins, went to court to oppose the decision, saying before the case proceeds, prosecutors must show District Judge Paul Manzi abused his discretion when he threw out the charges for a lack of evidence on Sept. 27.
Widger, 36, of Erie, a teacher at Grandview Elementary School, was first charged in August with possession of child pornography and possessing an instrument of crime.
The Millcreek Township School District fired Widger shortly after his arrest.
Manzi said the prosecution failed to show Widger was using the school computer when the child pornography was accessed.
Hopkins said Manzi was correct in tossing out the charges.
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In refiling the charges, prosecutors asked Erie County President Judge Elizabeth Kelly to assign the case to another district judge.
"We mean no disrespect to District Judge Manzi," District Attorney Brad Foulk said. "But we feel we presented sufficient evidence and continue to have sufficient evidence to move the case to trial."
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