A 28-year old teacher at Jere Baxter Middle School was arrested and charged with one felony count of sexual exploitation of a minor on Wednesday.
The teacher, Alexander Donahoe, was arrested Wednesday evening after he allegedly admitted to possessing child sexual material, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
Donahoe is being housed at the Downtown Detention Center on a $100,000 bond, according to inmate records.
MNPD said its investigation that led to Donahoe’s arrest began in March after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that a computer IP address from Nashville was being used to conduct reverse image searches for sexual pictures of minors.
Donahoe was identified as the subscriber based on subpoenas to the internet service provider, according to MNPD.
Following the execution of a search warrant on Donahoe’s residence in which investigators seized electronic equipment for further analysis, MNPD said the middle school teacher admitted to possessing child sexual material and was arrested.
In a statement obtained by WKRN News 2, a spokesperson for Metro Nashville Public Schools said Donahoe has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, and no longer possesses access to Metro buildings or systems, “pending the outcome of the investigation.”
“Our understanding is that there is no indication a student at the school was involved, but we will continue to coordinate with authorities on the investigation,” the spokesperson added.
Federal law requires U.S.-based electronic service providers to report any apparent child pornography they discover on their systems to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via its CyberTipline.
Over 1,400 companies are registered to report to the CyberTipline and also receive alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about suspected Child Sexual Abuse Material on their platforms.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said its CyberTipline has received more than 195 million reports related to Child Sexual Abuse Material since its inception in 1998.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Alexander Donahoe” by Metro Nashville Police Department.
