Former Columbia teacher indicted on federal child sex charges
A former Columbia teacher is now facing federal charges linked to child sexual abuse material.
By WIS News 10 Staff
Published: Jul. 28, 2026 at 12:51 PM PDT|Updated: Jul. 29, 2026 at 9:47 AM PDT
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A former Columbia teacher is now facing federal charges linked to child sexual abuse material.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 44-year-old Jonathan Andrew Monk was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
The nine-count indictment alleges Monk used at least five different usernames on the messaging app Kik, including “rizzlertwizzler” and “skoobidi1777″, to exploit victims who were 15 and 16 years old.
Monk is accused of coercing the victims to “engage in sexually explicit content for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.” Documents also state Monk sent multiple files of child sexual abuse material between August and November 2025.
Monk faces at least 15 years in prison on his current charges, with a maximum of 30 years.
Monk was also identified by authorities as a former teacher. Publicly-available state records show that his South Carolina teaching certification expired in 2017.
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School later confirmed that Monk was a former employee at the school.
“Heathwood Hall is aware of the recent arrest of a former employee. As always, our top priority is the safety and support of our students, staff, and families. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement,” Suzanne Nagy, the school’s assistant head, wrote in a statement to WIS.
If you have any information to report to law enforcement, please get in touch with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or (803) 551-4200.
Additional charges filed against Plano ISD teacher jailed on child sex abuse charges
PLANO, Texas — A former Plano ISD elementary school teacher already jailed on child sex charges is now also facing three counts of indecency with a child, police say.
Plano police obtained the three new warrants against Paul Campbell, a second-grade teacher at Brinker Elementary School who has been in the Collin County Jail since his July 8 arrest. The additional charges come after an 8-year-old student reported abuse to school officials, and investigators say more children have since come forward.
"We want to acknowledge the courage of the children who have come forward, as well as the strength and resiliency shown by their parents throughout this difficult process," police said in a statement. "We recognize that disclosure can take time, and that each victim and family makes decisions about participation at their own pace."
Campbell's original arrest warrant states the abuse took place at the school during the 2025–2026 school year. He had been with the district for more than 28 years before his arrest. According to newly released arrest affidavits, the alleged abuse occurred multiple times and involved multiple students.
Court records state one alleged victim told investigators the abuse happened during the 2023-24 school year, while others reported incidents during the 2025-26 school year.
In a statement Monday, Plano ISD called the alleged conduct reprehensible and said it is inconsistent with the district's values, standards and expectations.
"Any conduct that threatens student safety is unacceptable, and the district will respond promptly and decisively whenever allegations of this nature are reported," the district said. "The additional charges reinforce the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of allowing law enforcement to complete its investigation. The district continues to cooperate fully with the Plano Police Department as it leads the criminal investigation."
On July 9, Plano ISD's board voted unanimously to send notice of proposed termination of Campbell's contract.
"Our children are the most vulnerable demographic of our society," Plano police spokesperson Andrae Smith said.
Police announced Monday that three additional alleged victims have come forward as the department's Special Victims Unit continues investigating the case.
"We're not immune to evil, and evil has knocked on our back door," Smith said.
The latest allegations have shaken families in the Brinker Elementary community.
One mother, whose two children attended the school and knew Campbell, said she was stunned when she learned more children had come forward.
"Honestly, I was in shock," she said. "It makes me cringe. It makes my skin crawl, to be honest. This particular teacher has tarnished their reputation right now."
Police say the investigation remains active and believe additional victims may still come forward.
"We plead that you come forward to tell your story," Smith said.
Investigators say they are committed to identifying every potential victim and ensuring every child is safe.
Former kindergarten assistant sentenced for child sex crime in MS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former kindergarten assistant in Mississippi was sentenced to prison for transporting child sexual abuse materials using social media applications, the United States Department of Justice said in a release on Wednesday.
Benjamin Wilkes, 31, had sought out images and videos of children as young as four years old engaging in sexual conduct and then stored them in a social media cloud for easy access, according to court documents.
Wilkes was sentenced to 20 years in prison with an additional 10 years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender where he lives, works, or is a student.
“Child exploitation and pornography are an abomination. No ambiguity: it is evil, and a civilized society cannot tolerate its existence. We as citizens of Mississippi must continue to work tirelessly to redress and stamp out these crimes. Thankfully, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations have taken up this cause and joined forces to push such perversion out of this great State. Keep up the excellent work,” said Scott Leary, U.S. Attorney.
More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found here.
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Evil babysitter sexually abused two babies and shared footage with paedophiles
The 26-year-old woman has been jailed for 70 years.
The babysitter recorded visual depictions of the abuse on her mobile phone (Image: Getty)
A babysitter who sexually abused two babies in her care and shared the footage with paedophiles online has been jailed for 70 years. Molly Elisabeth Duncan, 26, of Beachwood, Ohio, USA, was sentenced to 840 months in prison by US District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in April to a series of offences involving the two children.
She admitted two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Judge Barker imposed the sentence on July 22 and also ordered Duncan to serve 25 years of supervised release after she completes her prison term.
In addition, she was ordered to pay $20,000 (£15,000) towards the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which was established in 2015, and a further $8,000 (£6,000) under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act, created in 2018 to provide financial assistance for victims of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents and evidence, Duncan worked as a nanny for the families of the two children in northeast Ohio between about November 2023 and July 2024.
Court records also state that she worked as a nanny in the Northern District of Ohio for around 10 years.
Prosecutors said Duncan sexually abused one child in Portage County and another in Geauga County. Both victims were under the age of two.
Investigators said she recorded visual depictions of the abuse on her mobile phone before sharing the videos through a social media platform with others who also had a sexual interest in children.
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