Vernon EMT faces child porn charges

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- A former Vernon EMT is facing child porn charges. News 8 is learning more about the man arrested and his connection to a school in Simsbury.

"I was told he was teaching swimming lessons to children," said Lt. Stephen Estes, West Hartford Police.

Corey McDonald, an EMT in Vernon and former employee of "Aquatics for Living" was arrested.

"Aquatics for Living" is a pool management company where he worked as an instructor at the Westminster School in Simsbury and at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford.

Police say they arrested McDonald in April 2009 for voyerism. He secretly recorded his female roommate and pled guilty to reckless endangerment four months later.

West Hartford Police had seized his computers nearly four years ago but because of the back log at the State Police crime lab, the case was closed before the computer could be looked at. The computers were returned to the detective division at West Hartford P.D. but West Hartford sent them back because they had word there was child porn on the computers.

"They requested a forensic computer examination on those computers. Based on some stuff that was learned during that investigation, those computers were sent to the computer lab," said Lt. Estes.

Police say they found 13 images of child pornography on McDonalds computer. The EMT and swim teacher was taken out of the pool in handcuffs.

Darlene Skeels, the communications and publications director for Westminster told News 8, "When we became aware of the situation, we were in touch with the pool management company so he would not be allowed to return here and we asked the company to put background checks in place for their employees."

"Today so many cases involve either a smart phone or what ever it is. There's just so much computer crime going on and computer links to crimes and sure enough the child pornography images were found on those computers," said Lt. Estes.