A New Mexico high school teacher was arrested Wednesday on child sexual abuse material and evidence tampering charges following an investigation, deputies said.
Whitney Vandenberg was employed as an instructor at Silver High School in Silver City, according to district officials.
Deputies with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office took the educator into custody on Wednesday morning, law enforcement reported.
Vandenberg faces two counts of distribution of CSAM, one count of possession, and two counts of tampering with evidence, according to authorities.
The school district had already initiated steps toward terminating his employment prior to the arrest, according to officials.
On Aug. 25, Silver Consolidated Schools first received concerning information involving alleged conduct that took place away from school grounds during the summer, administrators said.
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Vandenberg was immediately placed on paid administrative leave after the report surfaced, district officials said. District-issued technology was secured at the same time and law enforcement was promptly notified, according to administrators.
A subsequent review by the district did not uncover any inappropriate material on his school-issued devices, according to officials.
District officials stated they currently have no reason to believe the alleged conduct occurred at a school, according to administrators. They added that there is no indication the matter involved a Silver Schools student, the district said.
The teacher was facing termination when he arrived for a meeting with district administrators on Wednesday, according to officials.
He resigned during that meeting, district officials said. Immediately following the conference, deputies took him into custody, according to authorities.
Additional search warrants and investigative procedures remain underway as the probe continues, authorities said. Vandenberg has been accused and not convicted, officials stated.
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