Mulrennan Teacher's Aide Accused Of Possessing Child Pornography

VALRICO, FL ?The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has arrested a middle school employee accused of possessing child pornography.

Sean Shafer, 23, was arrested on Friday after a search warrant revealed 15 confirmed child pornography files on his electronic devices, according to the sheriff's office.

Sheriff's detectives said they were made aware of Shafer's illegal internet activity through a cyber tip in May.

Shafer is employed as a paraprofessional, working as a teacher's aide at Mulrennan Middle School, 4215 Durant Road in Valrico. At this time, no students are suspected of being victims. All the images appear to have been obtained from the internet, said detectives.

"The well-being of children should be the top priority for all of our school district employees, so it is especially upsetting that someone who works in the classroom would share obscene images of children online," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Our office will continue working diligently to find and arrest any individual who seeks to take advantage of minors or aides in their victimization."

Shafer is facing 15 counts of possession of child pornography, 26 counts of in-state transmission of child pornography by electronic device and one count of possession of obscene material.

He remains in the Hillsborough County Jail on $164,750 bail.