Child pornography possession, Whitnall Middle School teacher accused
MUSKEGO, Wis. - A Whitnall Middle School teacher was charged on Thursday with two counts of child pornography possession.
Prosecutors accuse Ryan Craig, 37, of uploading files containing child sexual abuse material to Google Photos and Google Drive. The school district said he is suspended without pay.
Muskego police received a cybertip on April 25 from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations. According to a criminal complaint, the tip indicated that Google reported fifteen files uploaded to Google Photos and Google Drive to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Investigators in Muskego looked at thirteen of the images, the complaint states, at least three of which contained child sexual abuse material. They used the Gmail address, phone number and IP address linked to the Google Photos and Google Drive account to identify Craig as a suspect.
A search warrant was executed at Craig's home on May 15, the complaint states, and electronics were seized for forensic analysis. Those devices are still being reviewed, according to police.
Records show Craig made his initial court appearance on May 16, and the court issued a $100,000 signature bond.
Statement from Whitnall School District Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor:
The district is aware of this issue. Communication was sent from my office to Whitnall staff and families yesterday morning. We don’t have additional information to share at this time. Our greatest priority at this time is student safety and wellbeing.
This is the content of the letter that went out today to staff and families.
Whitnall has been informed of the arrest and potential charges against a Whitnall Middle School teacher. The teacher has been placed on an unpaid suspension as of May 16, 2024. We cannot provide additional information at this time due to the ongoing criminal investigation of this matter. However, there is no indication that any alleged conduct impacted Whitnall students.
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