SOMERSET, MASS. (WHDH) - A newly-hired custodian at a school in Somerset, arrested Wednesday night on child pornography charges, was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail Thursday, authorities said.
Pereira was charged with dissemination of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Detectives responding to Somerset-Berkley Regional High School around 9:30 p.m. arrested Miguel Pereira, 34, as part of an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation, according to the Somerset Police Department.
A search warrant that was executed at Pereira’s home prior to his arrest found that child pornography was being shared from his IP address, police said.
Pereira had been employed for only a few weeks, school officials said.
“Anything that deals with children always goes to the heart of every law enforcement officer as being the worst things you can do. Like a sex assault on a child. This is pretty bad,” Somerset Police Chief George McNeil said.
Police say no local high school students were involved and that Pereira was thoroughly checked out before he was hired to work at the school.
“Everyone gets CORI checked and background checked, and if you don’t have a CORI, they have no reason to say you can’t work here,” McNeil said.
“Mr. Periera has no history with the court. He’s never been in trouble, never arrested,” said Periera’s defense attorney, Michael Digioia. “My client is devastated by these charges. He denies these charges.”
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