||| Garland Police |||
A former special needs teacher from Garland ISD has pleaded guilty to child pornography.
The former teacher, 60-year-old Kirk Patrick Keshler, was arrested on August 16 after a detective found numerous files for child pornography on his computer. The police authorities seized the said device.
The authorities zeroed in on him after determining that an IP address belonging to him was used to share child pornography online.
A laptop was taken from Keshle’s home also contained various videos of child pornography. Police believe that Keshler has been accessing the said videos when the police showed up at his home.
Keshler paid $15,000 in bond. On September 26, a grand jury indicted him on five counts of child pornography.
The former teacher faces a maximum penalty of not less than five years up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to remain in custody pending his sentencing which is scheduled on April 4, 2018.
Keshler used to teach at Garland High School, was an internet user and had access to a peer-to-peer file-sharing account to send and receive images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
A forensic review of the seized laptop also unearthed over 10,000 images and 3,000 videos involving toddler aged children to early and pubescent teens both males and females engaged in sexual activity with adults and with other children.
Horrifically, some of the child pornography files also show sadistic and masochistic content and bestiality. Officers also seized from his home several pairs of female children’s panties in various child sizes.
Police also found a nude, anatomically correct child-size doll inside the master bedroom closet. The doll was wearing a wig and makeup and had painted fingernails and toenails.
It is not clear yet if the Garland High School where Keshler used to work has reacted or commented on his case, and whether they took efforts to establish if Keshler has victimized any of the students there. He was placed on leave from his job after his arrest.
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