An elementary school custodian is facing charges after an investigation with Lee County Sheriff’s Investigators along with agents from the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations division. The two agencies joined forces to implement multiple search warrants in Lee County regarding Cyber tips pertaining to the exploitation of children under the age of 18, which led investigators discovering that one of the suspects was a custodian at Beauregard Elementary School.
The suspect, 33-year-old Matthew Adams Hammock, from Beauregard, was taken into custody at the school without incident.
Investigators collected a cell phone from Hammock at that time and were able to confirm multiple images of child pornography that had been downloaded from the internet.
A search warrant was conducted at Hammocks residence in the 200 block of Lee Rd. 43 in Beauregard where multiple digital devices were obtained. During the search through Hammocks digital devices, Investigators were able to locate multiple images depicting nude children under 12 years of age.
Hammock has since been charged with 41 counts of Possession of child Pornography and is being held in the Lee County Detention Center on a $410,000.00 bond.
“At this time there has been no evidence found that would suggest Beauregard Elementary School or any of the students were depicted in any of the photos,” the sheriff’s office said. “Lee County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted searches in all of the bathrooms at the school and found no recording devices.”
Lee County Schools released the following in a statement:
“Lee County Schools was informed of an investigation being conducted by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Alabama Wednesday, September 28. School officials cooperated with the request of sheriff’s office investigators to make available an individual who was serving Beauregard Elementary School through means of a temporary employment service. The individual was removed from campus for an investigation and subsequently detained and charged. The individual is not an employee of Lee County Schools and had cleared background checks through his employer. No information shared with Lee County Schools indicates any wrongdoing on school grounds, nor any involvement of Lee County Schools students. The charged individual’s availability to work in a school setting was revoked immediately upon learning of this matter. Any further comment regarding this situation shall be directed to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.”
More charges are expected and anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 334-749-5651 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
