Elementary teacher indicted on child pornography charges

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An elementary school teacher has been accused of being "in possession of and duplicating child pornography,” according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

Brett Cunningham, 40, is a licensed teacher in Oregon, most recently employed at a Hillsboro elementary school, the district attorney's office said in a news release Friday.

Cunningham is charged with two counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and eight counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, according to the district attorney’s office. It wasn’t immediately known if he has a lawyer to comment on his case.

Cunningham was indicted by a Multnomah County grand jury earlier this week.

On Thursday, Cunningham was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court where the state and court agreed he could remain out of custody until trial, the district attorney’s office said.

The Oregon Department of Justice received a tip in April from an internet company that he was possibly uploading child pornography to the internet.

In May, the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force obtained a search warrant and recovered electronic media that was then submitted for forensic analysis.

The principal of Orenco Elementary School in Hillsboro released a statement Friday, saying Cunningham was a teacher there from 2013 until May 5, when the school was notified of the investigation and he was placed on leave. The statement said Cunningham resigned Sept. 14 in lieu of termination, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.