The Facts

BISD teacher placed on leave amid porn probe

By Jason Smith
The Facts

Published February 02, 2008

RICHWOOD — A Brazosport High School teacher suspected of purchasing child pornography from the Internet has been placed on administrative leave with pay, and the district will recommend the teacher be fired.

James Dyer, 30, of Richwood was removed from school property Friday after Brazosport ISD officials learned of an investigation against him being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Stuart Dornburg, Brazosport ISD’s executive director of administrative services.

“We were alerted by law enforcement officers this morning that a search warrant was issued and a criminal investigation was being conducted,” Dornburg said.

A Homeland Security special agent executed a search warrant Thursday at Dyer’s home in the 400 block of Timbercreek Drive to determine if child pornography was ordered by him from his computer, Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne said.

Transactional logs obtained by Homeland Security from the PayPal payment site included Dyer’s information among customers who purchased access to child pornography Web sites, court documents state.

“The warrant was conducted and they made contact with him yesterday,” Yenne said.

Evidence obtained will be reviewed for appropriate charges, she said. No arrests have been made.

An internal investigation by Brazosport ISD has found no improper use of school technology by Dyer, and no indication an improper relationship with a student had occurred, Dornburg said.

This was the first school year Dyer has been with Brazosport ISD, Superintendent Joe Ripple said.

He teaches 10th grade history and also coaches freshman boys soccer, Dornburg said. Dyer was employed by Dickinson ISD in the 2006-07 school year, court documents state.

Ripple said it can be difficult to prevent something like this from happening.

“There was no indication that there was an issue at all,” he said. “He was a fully certified teacher.”

The district is cooperating with the Brazoria County District Attorney’s office, Ripple said.

“This type of offense is taken extremely serious by the district and we move forward quickly in any case of this nature because student safety is our No. 1 concern,” he said.

Jason Smith covers Brazosport ISD for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0150.