Former preschool employee facing child porn charges

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A former preschool employee was arrested for possessing material of a child engaged in sexual activity, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office.

Andrew Timothy Hodge, 32, of Leland, was arrested Monday after a joint investigation between the sheriff's office and Homeland Security Investigations.

Hodge was charged with four counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of indecent liberties with a child. He was booked under a $1 million.

Hodges' Facebook page states that he was previously worked at Leland Christian Academy as a teacher's assistant. When reached for comment, a school spokesperson provided the following statement:

We at Leland Christian Academy and First Baptist Church are deeply saddened to learn of these allegations.  The safety and security of our students have always been our first priority.  All that we can confirm at this point is that Mr. Andrew Hodge was an employee of Leland Christian Academy, but left the school in August of 2017 to pursue other interests.  The school has a rigorous screening process in place for individuals working with the children and Mr. Hodge passed each of these criteria, including background checks every three years, the most recent being in July of 2015.  There had been no allegations or complaints lodged against Mr. Hodge by parents or staff during his time here, and we are heartbroken to hear of these charges.

Prior to Leland Christian Academy, Hodge was employed at Southeastern Preschool Education Center (SPEC), according to a SPEC representative.

According to arrest warrants, Hodge is accused of possessing "material containing a representation of a minor, unknown female, approximate age between 8 and 10 years of age engaged in sexual activity." The incidents took place between Jan. 1, 2017 and Sept. 30, 2017.

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