COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio teacher secretly recorded his kindergarten students using a tiny spy camera hung inside his classroom’s bathroom, prosecutors said Saturday.
Dozens of videos of students were found on the computer of Elliot Gornall, 32, a former teacher at the elementary school in Loudonville who resigned last year after being charged in another case, Ashland County Prosecutor Chris Tunnell said.
Gornall faces 25 felony charges: 23 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance and two counts of attempting the same crime. Twenty-five kindergartners were recorded, Tunnell said.
Gornall had worked in the district for four years following clean background checks, officials said.
“He was well-liked by students and staff and parents,” said Annette Gorrell, principal at R.F. McMullen Elementary School. “The betrayal is huge.”
Gornall was arrested Friday and is due in court Monday.
He resigned from teaching in December after being charged with felony drug possession. He was later charged with a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property when authorities said they discovered children’s underwear while searching his home. Investigators then confiscated his home computer.
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