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Ex-teacher in Mesa arrested on suspicion of child exploitation
A former Mesa schoolteacher has been arrested for having child pornography on his laptop.
MESA, Ariz. - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is asking for the public's help to identify any potential victims of a former Mesa school teacher who has been arrested for distributing child porn.
Cheng-Hsuan "Eric" Tsai, 29, faces 20 counts of distribution and possessing images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
His bail has been set to $1 million by a Maricopa County judge.
HSI started investigating Tsai in February when special agents discovered him accessing, downloading and disseminating child pornography.
HSI and Mesa police arrested him at his home on Aug. 5 where they also found 127 pictures and videos of child pornography on his laptop.
At the time of his arrest, Tsai worked for the Tempe Montessori School in Mesa where he has now been fired from.
Federal officials say during the investigation, Tsai admitted to multiple incidents where he was inappropriately around unclothed students, sometimes filming them.
The school released a statement that reads, "The School immediately terminated Mr. Tsai upon learning of his arrest on Thursday. We are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. Our Top priority is ensuring the safety of our students and staff."
HSI asks if anyone has information about Tsai and the investigation that they call HSI Phoenix at 602-200-2200.
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