VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A judge denied bond Friday morning for a Virginia Beach school employee accused of having child pornography.
David Crouse Jr., 56, is charged with five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of distribution of child pornography.
He was arrested at Arrowhead Elementary School, where he works as an instructional technology specialist, on Wednesday. He is currently on unpaid administrative leave, according to a Virginia Beach City Schools spokesperson.
In the Friday morning hearing, prosecutors said investigators found photos of sexual activities involving young girls on Crouse's laptop. The images showed men molesting children, according to prosecutors.
The judge cited her belief that Crouse is a potential threat to the community as the reason for denying his bond.
Diane Toscano, Crouse’s attorney has already filed an appeal. Another hearing is scheduled for Thursday, December 15 in Virginia Beach.
“When you're addressing someone's bond you're looking at whether they're a flight risk or danger to the community or themselves, so we feel that Mr. Crouse is not,” she said.
Prosecutors said Crouse last accessed the images on Tuesday, December 6. However, they said the investigation leading to his arrest dates back to 2019. They said investigators wanted to be sure they caught the right person.
"It's a little nerve-wracking knowing there's an investigation and it's lasted three years,” said Angela Ortiz, whose daughter used to attend Arrowhead Elementary.
Lisa Riley, the school’s principal, sent a second letter to parents on Friday afternoon, saying the community and school staff are “shocked and heartbroken by the situation.”
After the news broke, she said several parents reached out to school administrators with questions about the timing of the allegations. Riley said school officials reached out to the Virginia Beach Police Department, which shared the following statement for the community:
"The Virginia Beach Police Department, in 2019, became aware of an IP address that was distributing child pornography. Though the IP address was not connected to a specific individual at that time, VBPD initiated an investigation into the case. Due to the complex nature of internet crimes and legal procedures involved, it takes time to bring them to a successful conclusion. As soon as detectives were able to establish probable cause that a specific individual was responsible, a search warrant was obtained, Mr. Crouse was arrested, and the Virginia Beach City Public Schools was notified."
In the letter to parents, Riley said "counselors are available at the school for students and staff who need additional support."
Ortiz said no parent wants to hear that someone with access to their children is facing allegations like these.
“In any grade, high school, junior high or elementary... is very scary,” she said.
A full copy of the letter sent to parents is below:
Dear Arrowhead Elementary School families,
We’re following up with some additional information regarding the arrest of Mr. Crouse. First, all of us in the VBCPS community, and particularly here at Arrrowhead, are absolutely shocked and heartbroken by this situation. Without a doubt, the safety and security of our students is our number one priority and something that we take extremely seriously. We unwaveringly condemn actions related to the abuse or harm of any child and expect our staff to adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards.
We’ve received a lot of questions following the release of court documents and online records regarding the date of the events that led to the arrest being as early as 2018. We’ve spoken to the Virginia Beach Police Department who shared the following:
"The Virginia Beach Police Department, in 2019, became aware of an IP address that was distributing child pornography. Though the IP address was not connected to a specific individual at that time, VBPD initiated an investigation into the case. Due to the complex nature of internet crimes and legal procedures involved, it takes time to bring them to a successful conclusion. As soon as detectives were able to establish probable cause that a specific individual was responsible, a search warrant was obtained, Mr. Crouse was arrested, and the Virginia Beach City Public Schools was notified."
We know this situation is deeply concerning and many are struggling with the news. We will continue to have counselors available at the school for students and staff who need additional support.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to VBPD at 757-385-4101 or to the school. We will get through this difficult time together as a community and I thank you for your continued support of Arrowhead Elementary.