ROCK HILL, S.C. — An assistant principal at a middle school in Rock Hill who was once Teacher of the Year there has been arrested on child porn charges.
Charlotte Mecklenburg detectives arrested Darin Pearson early Friday morning after getting a tip from police in Nashville, Tennessee who were investigating child pornography on the internet.
After getting the call, detectives searched Pearson's home in No Da late Thursday night and said they found evidence of child pornography on his computer.
Pearson was questioned at police headquarters, then taken to jail on Friday on three counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Rock Hill Schools said Friday they learned of his arrest after a call from CMPD and they put Pearson on administrative leave from his position as an assistant principal at Sullivan Middle School.
A spokeswoman for the district said Sullivan had been at the school since 2002, and had been a teacher of the year there before becoming an assistant principal in 2007. She said the principal sent a telephone message to parents Friday telling them of Pearson's arrest.
Police said there is no evidence that Pearson did anything inappropriate with any children in Charlotte or any students in Rock Hill, and parents at Sullivan Middle School were stunned by his arrest.
"Do I know him? Yes. I've talked to him many of times. I don't believe it," said Jessica Alejandro, who has two sons at the school. "I've spoken with him many times. I've sat in the lunchroom with him and I've never had an inkling of him being that type of person."
WSOC
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