QC Teacher Faces Child Porn Charges
Disturbing news out of Davenport this week- local teacher Michael Loren Ross has been charged with possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography, according to the Quad City Times.
An agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was given a tip through the National Center for Missing And Exploited Children that child pornography was uploaded to a Dropbox account by a HotMail user, leading to a search warrant of Ross' property. Items including Ross' laptop, cell phone, camera, and camcorder were seized in the search. Ross admitted to receiving and distributing porn through the instant messaging app Kik at the time of the search. An arrest warrant was issued last Friday, June 23, and his arrest took place on Monday.
Ross' first appearance in court took place Monday, following his arrest. If convicted, he is facing 10-20 years in prison for possession charges and 5-20 for the receipt charges.
According to a Davenport Community School District spokesperson, Ross has taught at Buchanan and Wilson elementary schools, and he is currently on administrative leave.
As a mother, I am horrified to learn that a teacher in our own community has committed such a disgusting crime. We put so much blind trust into teachers to help guide our children, and knowing that this man could work alongside children every day while also exchanging child pornography makes me sick to my core. I certainly hope that he is convicted and faces the maximum sentence for these crimes, although that doesn't feel like enough.
Read more about the case here.