A South Bay elementary school teacher was arrested Friday after being accused of possessing child porn, according to officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Gary Delaney Phillips, 54, was taken into custody from his College area home at about 8:30 a.m., said Darrell Foxworth, Special Agent with the FBI.
Philips has taught 6th grade at Clear View Elementary for the past two years.
"He's a great teacher, a great guy, we all like him,” said Miriam Guerrero, a kindergarten teacher at the school, "I know he's single and he has cats, but that’s pretty much all I know about his private life."
FBI agents said they know a lot more about Phillips private life, and that's why they busted through the front door of his College area home and arrested him on child porn charges.
Agents said they zeroed in on Phillips after finding emails he allegedly sent to child porn traders on the Internet.
In those emails, investigators said Phillips expressed a sexual interest in children, and he already owned some child porn images, which agents said they found at his home.
During the search, images depicting children engage in sexually explicit conduct were found, according to a media release.
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“Shocking it's shocking, I have goosebumps.. I can't believe it, I wouldn't suspect anything about it,” said Guerrero, "doesn't sound like the type of person who would have that kind of accusation."
On Tuesday, school is set to begin at Clear View Elementary, which is the same day Phillips is set to be arraigned in Federal Court.
