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A Torrance middle school music teacher made his initial court appearance Friday on a child pornography charge.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sergio C. Tapia II ordered Eric James Mitchell, 36, to return to court May 19 for arraignment and barred him from using the Internet, according to Deputy District Attorney Samer Hathout.
Mitchell — a music teacher at Calle Mayor Middle School — is charged with one count of possession of more than 600 images of child pornography.
Mitchell was arrested March 25 after authorities served a search warrant at his Long Beach home, according t oVirginia Kice of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Authorities found “sexually explicit images of minors on digital devices in the home,” Kice alleged last month.
A tip that originated in Brussels, Belgium, led to his arrest. Kice said Los Angeles Police Department officers assigned to the Long Beach Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Torrance police aided with the arrest.
Agents informed the Torrance Unified School District about the investigation and Mitchell was placed on administrative leave.
“We don’t have any indication at this time that this individual victimized any of his students, but that’s certainly a concern whenever we’re investigating a child pornography suspect who has close and ongoing contact with children,” Joseph Macias, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles, said last month.
Mitchell, who was released on bond the day of his arrest, could face up to five years in state prison if convicted, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
—City News Service
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