Best Buy employee found child porn on Pasco teacher’s laptop, deputies say

WESLEY CHAPEL — A Pasco County middle school teacher faces felony charges after sheriff’s deputies said a Best Buy employee found child pornography on the 69-year-old educator’s laptop.

William Crawford was arrested Tuesday afternoon at John Long Middle School, where he taught, according to a report from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. He resigned from the job the same afternoon, prior to his arrest, a district spokeswoman said.

Crawford brought his Toshiba laptop to Best Buy for repairs last year, according to the arrest report. A Geek Squad member working on the repairs found images of child pornography. On Aug. 19, a judge signed a search warrant for the computer, and in December, a detective created a forensic image of the computer’s contents.

Deputies reviewed the contents and found 10 files containing child pornography, according to the arrest report. Crawford faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

“Pasco County Schools has no tolerance for this type of criminal behavior," district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said in a statement. "We are disappointed and disgusted.”