SHAFTER, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield Police and Richland School District confirm that Zachary McGraw, who was arrested on felony child porn allegations, is a teacher in Shafter, but no area children are involved.
- On Monday, members of the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant in west Bakersfield leading to the arrest of Zachary McGraw for felony allegations of possession of child pornography. On Tuesday morning, Richland School District staff and the Bakersfield Police Department confirmed that McGraw is a sixth-grade teacher at Golden Oak Elementary in Shafter.
- In a statement to 23ABC on Tuesday, RSD Superintendent Rosa Romero confirmed that McGraw is part of the Golden Oak staff and is the man who was arrested Monday stating, "The Richland School District was made aware of the arrest of a staff member on allegations of possession of child sexual abuse material. These allegations are deeply concerning, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation."
- Both Romero and BPD Public Information Officer Eric Celedon say there is no evidence that any area children are involved in the incident.
- According to Celedon, members of the Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff's Office, Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Secret Service assisted in the investigation.
- As of Tuesday afternoon, McGraw was listed on the Kern County Sheriff's Office inmate roster with two felony allegations for possession and distribution of child pornography. As of Tuesday evening, McGraw is no longer listed on KCSO's inmate roster.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On Monday, we reported about a Bakersfield man being arrested for allegedly possessing pornographic material showing children, I'm Sam Hoyle, your Shafter neighborhood reporter, according to the Bakersfield Police Department and Richland School District, the man who was arrested is a 6th-grade teacher at Golden Oak Elementary in Shafter.
In a phone call with 23ABC on Tuesday Morning, Superintendent Rosa Romero confirmed Zachary McGraw, who is a teacher at Golden Oak Elementary in Shafter, was the man referenced in BPD's press release on Monday.
In a written statement to 23ABC, Romero wrote:
"The Richland School District was made aware of the arrest of a staff member on allegations of possession of child sexual abuse material. These allegations are deeply concerning, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation."
Romero also noted that right now there is no evidence that any students at Golden Oak were involved in the matter, a sentiment that Bakersfield Police Department Public Information Officer Eric Celedon echoed Tuesday Morning.
"Based on the information we have, we do not have any information that indicates that any of the children photographed or depicted in these photos or videos are local children. If we had any of that information, we would be actively working on that to make sure that everybody was well-informed and notified. So, we don't want the community to think that any of our local children aren't involved in this and please, if you see something, please say something," said Celedon.
According to Celedon, the investigation spawned from a tip received by the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, and members of the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce conducted the investigation and made the arrest.
Celedon noted that while the department is unable to give specifics on this case, but noted when a tip comes in, it typically includes information like social media accounts and IP addresses related to where the crimes are suspected of being committed.
According to a spokesperson for the Kern County District Attorney's office, no official charges have been filed against McGraw at this time, which is why we have not shown a photo of him at this point. According to the Kern County Sheriff's Office Website on Tuesday, McGraw is facing two felony allegations according to his booking information related to possession and distribution of child pornography.
We'll update this story as more information becomes available.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
