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Last updated on Friday, May 25, 2012
(NOBLESVILLE) - Police have accused a Broad Ripple High School teacher in a child pornography investigation.
Detectives said Robert Fowler, 43, of Noblesville, was arrested Thursday on nine felony counts of possession of child pornography.
The Lafayette Police Department said they received a tip which prompted them to search Fowler's personal computer.
Detectives with the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force said they found images of pre-teen girls and an infant in sexual situations on his computer.
"These were not accidentally possessed or something he just came across on the internet. These were things that were purposefully sent to him and things that he consciously saved and retrieved on different occasions to look at for his sexual gratification," Lt. Cameron Ellison said.
A search of Fowler's computer at Broad Ripple High School revealed no additional evidence, police said.
Fowler was arrested at school and taken to the Hamilton County Jail on a $5,000 bond, shocking students and teachers, RTV6's Tanya Spencer reported.
"During my lunch hour, this kid came in and was like, 'Oh my gosh! He got arrested,'" student Grace Danford said.
"He was kind of weird. He was kind of a pushover. He was, like, really weird and distant," student Mara Mansfield said.
Tamise Cross has a cousin who attends Broad Ripple and said she questions her relative's safety.
"When an individual gets into a field like this you're expected to trust that person to at least be honest. It's just baffling really. It actually makes me feel like our kids aren't safe," Cross said.
Indianapolis Public Schools said it was unaware of any evidence that Fowler engaged in any type of inappropriate activity with IPS students during school hours.
Fowler has been a teacher at Broad Ripple High School since 2009. He was suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
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