Former Teacher Paul Held Sentenced in Federal Child Porn Case
In Westport, Connecticut, former Bedford Middle School art teacher, Paul Held, 69, is being sentenced in one of the most disturbing child porn cases the U.S. Attorney’s office has ever seen.
Held had a huge collection of 3 million to 4 million child porn images. Authorities say that some of the pictures were taken in Held’s home, and others were taken in school including “under skirt” photos of his unsuspecting students. He also confessed to collecting snuff films showing the rape and murder of children.
The federal child pornography investigation began after Held borrowed a laptop computer from a neighbor in Vermont. When Held returned the computer, they found a CD of child porn. Afterwards, Federal authorities found Held’s massive stash of child pornography. Held told them that he traded child pornography over the Internet from 1995 to 2002.
Held retired from teaching in 2002 after two sixth-grade girls reported he touched them inappropriately. However, a jury acquitted Held of the allegations of one of the girls. He also pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography in a 2005 arrest.
Held was sentenced to to 121 months in prison and ordered him to pay a $30,000 fine. After his release, he must register as a sex offender and be supervised. He must also undergo sex offender and mental health treatment. Finally, his computer use will be monitored, and he cannot associate with children under 18 without supervision.
Paul Held, child porn, underskirt pictures of minors
September 5th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
I can’t believe the words ”when he’s released” are even relevant. Holy shit.
September 6th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Just over 10 years of prison time and he might serve half of that.
“When he gets out” he will be supervised around children? Wouldn’t most people consider a class room a supervised environment? You’ve got about 30 pairs of eyes on you, and yet that didn’t deter him then…
Not to say that someone with only 100 pornogrpahic images is any less sick, but MILLIONS is a lot of “sickness.” And snuff films involving the rapes and deaths of children… He should be put to death. This is not a “period of sickness.” It’s not a phase he will outgrow. MILLIONS of images is not something you outgrow. Death penalty!
September 10th, 2007 at 6:04 am
[...] Join the discussion by Anne-Marie Nichols Shannon at Charming Bitch linked to my post about former middle school art teacher, Paul Held. Held had a huge collection of 3 to 4 million child porn images including “under skirt” photos [...]
June 12th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I would like a link to the reference where it says he admitted to collecting “snuff” films of children. Every article I’ve read on this bastard makes no mention of any such thing. I smell BS on that matter. Please post a link to the actual news article, not some blog.