Maine State Police arrested the husband of a Hermon Middle School teacher, Aaron M. Pinette, 42, on Friday on child pornography charges after executing a search warrant.
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Hermon School Superintendent Barbara Sargent sent a letter to parents, obtained by WABI, addressing the arrest of the spouse of one of their teachers.
Sargent reportedly confirmed in the letter that Pinette had not volunteered at the school in the last two years, suggesting that he might have volunteered there in the past.
She affirmed that all school employees undergo strict background checks.
No school devices were involved in the alleged child pornography and the school’s devices use firewalls to prevent inappropriate material from being accessed, according to Sargent.
The letter did not suggest that any children from the school were involved in Pinette’s alleged crimes.
Pinette was booked under the 17-A-284.1.C charge code, which applies in cases of child pornography possession or transportation when the material involves a child under the age of 12.
Pinette’s wife, Chelsea Pinette, serves as a 6th-grade English teacher and the head coach of the Hermon Middle School’s cross-country team.
She previously donated to a fundraiser for OUT Maine, a pro-LGBTQ organization that advocates for gender transitions for minors.
There is no indication that Chelsea Pinette was aware of or complicit in her husband’s alleged crimes.
