Teacher arrested at school on child porn charges

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - A Broad Ripple High School teacher was arrested at the school Thursday on nine charges of possession of child pornography.

Robert Fowler, 43, teaches math at Broad Ripple High School and Middle School.

According to court documents, an investigation in Tippecanoe County linked an email address that belonged to Fowler to an ongoing investigation. The probable cause affidavit says emails containing graphic pornographic images of infants and children were sent to Fowler's email address, Lafayette Police Department investigators found.

Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force investigators said Fowler submitted to a search of his computer, where he had saved the pornographic pictures, according to court documents.

“We look at this as a special circumstance when someone has access to children, we're going to go after them more aggressively,” said Lt. Cameron Ellison, with Fishers Police Department and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force.

Fowler was arrested Thursday after a month-long investigation.

“These were not accidentally possessed, or something he came across on the internet. These were things that were sent to him, and he consciously saved,” Ellison said of the pictures found on Fowler's computer.

He was preliminarily charged with nine counts of possession of child pornography. He was released from Hamilton County Jail on $5,000 bond.

“The fact that he works with children raises our level of suspicion if there's other victims, or other issues,” said Ellison.

Indianapolis Public Schools said Fowler had been suspended with pay pending the outcome of investigation. He has worked at the school since 2009.

Police also looked at Fowler's computer at school, but say they didn't find anything there.

Students 24-Hour News 8 spoke with Thursday said the rumors about Fowler had spread through the school all day.

“He was in school [Thursday], but there were rumors going around about it,” said Monteya Philips, a Broad Ripple student who said Fowler was her algebra teacher.

“He didn’t seem like the type of guy,” she added.

“They should be setting good examples,” added student Sharon Anderson.