School asst. accused in child porn bust

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - A school teacher's aide is locked up in the Marion County jail on child porn charges. The Federal prosecutor says undercover cops received a tip that 30-year-old Andrew McGrath was making child pornography with a girl under the age of five.

McGrath was arrested Monday for producing child pornography. Police say McGrath admitted to taking sexually explicit pictures of a young girl from Carmel. According to the probable cause affidavit, police found "...numerous images of child pornography" on McGrath's digital camera and on a separate thumb drive inside the Carmel home where McGrath lives with his parents.

Neighbor Rose Ann Miller said, "You just wouldn't expect something like that to happen here and I'm very shocked."

Since January 2008, McGrath was a teacher's assistant at Tri-County Education Center in Noblesville, a school for severely disabled children. Carmel Schools Superintendent Barb Underwood says she hasn't had any problems with him until now. McGrath was fired Tuesday.

Underwood also said McGrath had access to children ages 3-22 at the school. He worked in the transitional skills classroom, which meant he would help students develop life skills, depending on their disability.

The federal prosecutor says the victim is not a student at Tri-County.

McGrath is accused of filming a girl under the age of five and engaging in sexual activity on May 23 and August 23.Court records show McGrath took some of the photos in the victim's own home "...fully nude, sitting on a stool..."

The probable cause also says another picture shows the victim "...laying on her back in a bed in McGrath's residence."

The documents go on to say "...the focal point of these images in on the...pubic area..."

Neighbor Mary Rhoads said, "It's pretty scary to think someone's that close in our neighborhood doing those kinds of things."

The federal prosecutor says investigators are still looking through McGrath's camera and computer, so more charges could be coming.

Federal investigators said McGrath faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 30 years on each count and a maximum possible fine of $250,000 on each count.

Police said a preliminary hearing is scheduled before a magistrate judge in Indianapolis at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.