A public elementary school teacher and church choir leader has been arrested over allegations that he possessed and transmitted child pornography.
Joseph Watson, a 53-year-old resident of Land O’Lakes, Florida, was arrested Monday and faces two felony charges of possession of child sexual abuse material, two felony charges of electronic in-state transmission of obscene material, and two felony charges of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Watson’s arrest was part of a coordinated effort among the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, working from a tip provided by the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children.
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“FDLE continues to set the bar for what rapid response looks like,” said FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell in a statement released Tuesday.
“It is because of our partnerships at every level of law enforcement that we can continue to protect the community through diligent investigation and effective prosecution. FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass and Attorney General James Uthmeier don’t just take the protection of Florida’s children seriously, they lead by example.”
According to authorities, FDLE’s investigation began on May 9, when they got a cybertip from the NCMEC about someone sharing files depicting the sexual abuse of children on social media.
The investigation revealed that Watson, a music teacher at Oakstead Elementary School, was the social media user who received and shared two files depicting the abuse.
Authorities noted that, on Monday, FDLE Tampa agents went to Oakstead and interviewed Watson. He reportedly admitted to receiving and sharing the files on social media.
Watson was then transported to the Pasco County Jail and booked with a $120,000 bond.
“It’s hard to find a more depraved example of someone who betrayed the local community’s trust than Mr. Watson,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in a statement. “My prosecutors will bring down the full weight of the law on this predator.”
In addition to his teaching duties, Watson was also a choir leader at Grace Lutheran Church of Carrollwood, a suburb of Tampa, and was active in the congregation’s summer youth program.
Grace Lutheran Pastor Jennifer S. Michael said in a Facebook post that her church “is committed to the safety and well-being of all members of our congregation, especially our children and youth.”
“At this time we have no record indicating that Mr. Watson has participated in any unsupervised volunteer roles within our youth ministries or had direct individual interaction with any of our youth,” she added.
“As a community of faith, we lean on the words of Psalm 34:18: ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ We pray for God to provide wisdom, peace, and healing in the days ahead.”
