A West Memphis High School math teacher was arrested Thursday morning after authorities found child pornography on his home computer, Crittenden County Sheriff Mike Allen said in a news release.
Joseph Patrick Byrn, 47, of Marion, faces a charge of distributing, possession or viewing matter depicting sexual conduct involving children. Byrn is being held in the Crittenden County jail in Marion, according to the sheriff’s office website.
Capt. Joe Baker of the West Memphis Police Department said members of the department, sheriff’s deputies, the state police and federal agents searched Byrn’s home early Thursday.
Byrn was hired in August 2013 as a high school math teacher, according to his profile on LinkedIn, a social website for professionals. West Memphis School District Superintendent Jon Collins said in a prepared statement that Byrn was “not on the campus pending an investigation.”
Collins declined further comment because of the ongoing investigation.