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(1:25 PM) Teacher Accused Of Child Porn Possession Granted House Arrest

Scott Aikens

CLYMER — The Clymer teacher charged with possession of child pornography was released on $50,000 cash bail with conditions of home confinement.

Scott Aikens, an agriculture teacher at Clymer, was arrested on Friday after Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at his Clymer residence residence. In a criminal complaint obtained by The Post-Journal from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Aikens admitted to possessing child pornography to federal agents.

At a detention hearing on Tuesday, Aikens was granted bail on conditions. There is no immediate hearing scheduled. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has until Dec. 18 to indict Aikens or the case is dismissed foregoing any resolution made prior to the deadline.

Defense Attorney Herbert Greenman of Lipsitz Green Scrime Cambria is representing Aikens, according to the Barbara Burns, public affairs officer for the U.S Attorney’s Office in Buffalo.

Phone calls to Aikens’ residence and Greenman’s office were not immediately returned.

Aikens’ arrest was the result of an investigation carried out by Homeland Security Investigations. The Buffalo offices of HSI, a subdivision of the Homeland Security Department, received information that an online user name “EJD” was active on a Thai-based child pornography website on June 25, 2018.

The account “EJD” registered with the Thai website on Nov. 8, 2017, according to the affidavit provided by Special Agent Nicholas Melchiorre supporting the criminal complaint against Aikens.

Between Nov. 8, 2017 and Dec. 20, 2017, “EJD” accrued 233 related credits and posted 15 comments to the site. The affidavit states no content from “EJD” was uploaded and therefore the credits were acquired using “True Money” payments to the website owner.

After tracing the IP address associated with”EJD,” HSI found the address was registered to Time Warner Cable Internet through a query of the online database of the American Registry for Internet Numbers. A summons was issued to the cable and internet company in order to obtain related subscriber information.

Homeland Security agents confirmed Aikens’ identity and residency through checks with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, the United States Postal Inspection Service and an additional summons to Time Warner Cable throughout the month of July.

The Clymer Central School District placed Aikens on administrative leave after being notified by HSI of his criminal charges.

The criminal charge carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

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