School district employee charged with possession of child porn after cyber tip
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District employee is facing several felony charges for possessing child pornography, and detectives are working to determine whether any students may have been involved.
School district employee charged
What we know:
Ramsey County prosecutors charged 30-year-old Michael Haslach on Tuesday with 10 counts of possession of pornographic work involving minors under the age of 14.
Haslach was employed by the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District, serving as a recess and traffic monitor at Cowern Elementary, Richardson Elementary and North High, according to a press release.
The incident remains under investigation. Maplewood police detectives are currently working to determine whether any students may have been involved.
Parents or guardians who believe their child may be a victim related to this investigation are encouraged to contact the BCA victim relations coordinator for the predatory crimes section at 651-793-2465.
Investigation details
Dig deeper:
According to the criminal complaint, the Maplewood Police Department received a tip in early January about possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM) uploaded to Dropbox.
After an investigation reportedly linked the IP and email addresses to Haslach, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his home and Dropbox account.
According to the complaint, while executing the search warrant, officers recovered multiple USB drives and devices containing CSAM. While the forensic examination is still ongoing, an initial review identified approximately 800 files.
During the search of the Dropbox account, authorities reportedly found multiple files, including 10 videos for which Haslach is now facing charges.
Law enforcement took Haslach into custody and he allegedly told investigators he obtained CSAM through people he met on social media apps and claims he has a "sexual attraction to children," charges read.
Haslach remains in custody at the Ramsey County Jail. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court Wednesday morning.
School district's response
What they're saying:
A spokesperson for North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District told FOX 9 "We are cooperating with Maplewood police as they continue their investigation."
Superintendent Christine Tucci Osorio sent a notice to families saying in part, "The district takes the safety and security of our students extremely seriously. We have been cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation and will continue to do so as the process unfolds. We understand the gravity of these charges and remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students."
Haslach has been employed by the school district since September 2021. During that time, Osorio said the district had not received any complaints or allegations regarding his conduct toward students.
He has since been placed on administrative leave and will not be on school property or have contact with students, the letter states.