Maryland Elementary School Teacher Charged With Abuse of 15 Minors

Police: Lawrence Joynes sexually abused 14 children in his classroom between 2005 and earlier this year; 15th victim discovered during investigation

A music teacher at a Silver Spring, Md., elementary school has been charged with sexually abusing 15 minors over a multi-year span, police said Tuesday.

Montgomery County Police said 14 of the victims were kindergarten through second grade students in Lawrence Wesley Joynes' music class at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School.

Joynes, 54, of Dundalk, was charged Aug. 8 with multiple counts stemming from those cases and another that was discovered in the course of the investigation, police said.

The abuse in Joynes' classroom spanned from 2005 to earlier this year, police said.

Joynes was a Montgomery County Public School teacher for about 27 years and had taught at New Hampshire Estates for a decade. He has been in police custody since March, following in investigation that began when Homeland Security and Baltimore County Police discovered he had child pornography, authorities said.

A search warrant at Joynes' home and classroom turned up videos and images of children whom Montgomery County detectives have now identified as 14 of his students, they said.

Police say the material showed Joynes directing and assisting the victims in making sexually suggestive gestures, as well as inappropriate touching.

The 15th victim, who is now an adult, was discovered during the investigation. Joynes had unlawful sexual encounters with her during three years in the 1990s, authorities said.

Detectives are asking anyone else who may have been victimized to contact the Montgomery County Police-Child Exploitation Unit at 240-773-5400.

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