Farmington teacher accused of possessing child pornography

Jeannie Northrup, jnorthrup@dailyjournalonline.com

Kaleb Logan Curtis (St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department)

A teacher with the Farmington R7 School District was charged Thursday with three counts of felony possession of child pornography. Kaleb Logan Curtis, 23, of Farmington, is employed as a fifth-grade teacher at Lincoln Intermediate. The school district placed Curtis on administrative leave when they were notified of the pending charges.

A probable cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) states that on Aug. 22, they were alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user uploaded a video containing child pornography to a TikTok account the day before. Investigators allege the uploaded video contained several pornographic images and videos combined into one video file.

 One image reportedly involves a boy between 4 and 6 years old engaged in sexual activity. Another clip allegedly shows a boy approximately 10-12 years old engaged in sexual activity. 

The report states investigators used public records to identify the IP address of the TikTok account and then obtained a St. Francois County search warrant for subscriber and content information. Police say the investigation led them to a home in Farmington and Curtis. During an interview, Curtis allegedly admitted to a past pornography addiction and logging into the TikTok account to view pornography but said he did not view child pornography. 

The MSHP says Curtis’s desktop computer and cell phone were seized as evidence, and a warrant through St. Francois County was obtained to search them. According to the Missouri Digital Forensics Center, examining the seized items revealed 11 images of children engaged in sex acts — three of the pictures involving girls between the ages of 8 and 13.

Farmington School District Superintendent Dr. Kyle Gibbs notified parents Thursday of the arrest by letter and online. “There is no greater priority than our children’s health, safety, and welfare,” he wrote. Gibbs further states that Curtis’s alleged crimes were not committed against district students. According to the letter, Curtis is a new teacher this year, and his background and reference checks were clear. Parents with unanswered questions are encouraged to contact the central office at 573-701-1300.

A search of Missouri Case Net shows no prior criminal charges for Curtis. He is currently being held on a $50,000 cash or surety bond with special conditions awaiting further legal action.