A Georgia father’s horrifying discovery about extra money in his 13-year-old son’s bank account has led to the arrest of a former preschool teacher’s assistant.
Mark Penfield Eichorn, 27, allegedly paid the teen $200 to create a pornographic video of himself and send it back to him. according to My Texas Diary.
A subsequent investigation also found that a 12-year-old friend of the victim also participated in the 90-second video.
Eichnorn, who was working as a teacher’s aide at St. John’s Episcopal School in Abilene, Texas at the time, allegedly later admitted to paying the children through Venmo after connecting with them over Snapchat. Abilene Reporter News reports.
But when asked about his interactions with the teenagers, Eichorn is said to have asked: ‘Just those two?’
Mark Eichorn, 27, was arrested after a father in Georgia discovered he paid his son $200 to produce a pornographic video and send it to him.
He had been working as a teacher’s aide at St. John’s Episcopal School in Abilene, Texas (pictured) at the time.
The former teaching assistant also admitted until learning that the children were only 13 years old when he requested the video and paid them for it.
He later told authorities he also dealt in child pornography on social media and touched a child inappropriately.
During a subsequent investigation, Abilene authorities conducted a search warrant at Eichorn’s home and found nude images of children who appeared to be under the age of 10 on his cell phone.
Eichorn was eventually arrested on May 9 and fired from his position at the school, but was soon released from the Taylor County Jail on $50,000 bail. according to the Big Country home page.
Finally, a grand jury indicted him last month on charges of possession with intent to promote child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Eichorn allegedly admitted to paying children through Venmo after connecting with them through Snapchat, and told authorities he also traded child pornography on social media and touched a child inappropriately.
Eichorn pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges of producing child pornography.
He faces 15 to 35 years behind bars, as well as additional federal charges for indecency with a child.
Eichorn is expected to be rearrested on those federal charges by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service, and is scheduled to face a federal detention hearing later in the week.
Meanwhile, another teacher and the school’s principal also face charges of failing to report child abuse.
Another teacher at the school, Kelsey Alexander (left) and the principal, Rebecca McMillon (right), face charges of failing to report child abuse.
Prosecutors say a family from St. John’s Episcopal School came forward after Eichorn’s arrest and said their son alleged Eichorn had touched him inappropriately in January.
The mother claimed she called Kelsey Alexander, 34, the boy’s teacher, about the incident at the time, and Alexander, in turn, notified Rebecca McMillon, 55, the school’s principal. Big Country Home Page Reports.
McMillon later told parents that he conducted his own investigation into the claims and, after viewing surveillance footage and speaking with Eichorn, determined that the inappropriate contact was accidental while the former teacher’s aide was helping the boy with his belt so he could use the bathroom. .
McMillon told the parents that “nothing untoward had happened” and that surveillance footage showed the boy jumping in front of Eichorn to rejoin a game later.
However, neither Alexander nor McMillon reported the claim, as required by Texas law.
Both were arrested in July, but were released after posting bonds totaling $8,000.