Orange County teacher arrested on child pornography charges, authorities say

A former Orange County fifth-grade teacher faces child pornography charges, authorities say.

Stefan Winfried Anders was arrested by Orange County deputies Wednesday following a month-long investigation. He was charged with 15 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, which is a felony, according to a news release.

Last month, investigators said they searched Anders’ residence and seized multiple computers and other electronic devices. Three of the seized computers are the property of the Orange County Schools, the release said.

Investigators found multiple images of child pornography, but none of the photos depict children from New Hope Elementary, where he was a teacher, said lead investigator Ashley Woodlief.

“At this point in the investigation, that is still the case,” Woodlief said.

Anders has been suspended from his job at New Hope Elementary School, authorities said in a news release April 11.

Orange County school officials couldn’t immediately be reached on Anders’ current employment status.

Woodlief said the investigation is ongoing.

“Reviewing the files stored on these devices is incredibly time-consuming,” Woodlief said. “We still have more digital material to process, but at this point, we determined Mr. Anders possessed multiple photographs, the content of which is in violation of the laws of North Carolina.”

The investigation began with an online tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the release said. Investigators in Orange County were alerted in mid-February.

Anders was released on a written promise to appear in court. His first court date is May 9 at 2 pm.

Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 919-245-2900.

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 4:31 PM.