ROCHESTER — A 31-year-old paraprofessional at Ellis Middle School in Austin, Minn., is accused of possessing and disseminating child pornography.
Teacher's aide in Austin, Minn., charged with possessing and disseminating child pornography
Vincent Askelson was arrested Thursday after police found images and videos on a cellphone and computer he owned.
October 21, 2022 at 6:45PM
Vincent Vaughn Askelson was charged Friday in Mower County District Court with one count of disseminating child pornography and one count of possessing child porn, both felony charges.
Austin Superintendent Joey Page said in an email to parents Thursday there's no indication that Austin Public Schools students were involved, and Askelson is on leave from his job while district officials cooperate with a police investigation.
"While there is little else we can share at this time, please know that the safety and security of our students are our top priority," Page said in the statement. "If you or your child needs extra support, please know that our social workers and school counselors are always available."
Court records show police subpoenaed Google and Snapchat after receiving a tip in August that someone had used Snapchat to upload, share or save child porn images and videos earlier this year involving children as young as 4 years old.
Those subpoenas revealed Askelson's email and billing information behind the account in question.
Police searched Askelson's home Tuesday and seized a laptop, tablet and two cellphones. Askelson allegedly confirmed to police that he had a Snapchat account but said he hadn't used it in a long time. According to a court complaint, Askelson said he had seen child porn images after exploring the "dark web" and "it just popped up." He allegedly told police he had viewed "thousands" of images.
Askelson allegedly told police he hadn't downloaded or uploaded pornographic images of children, but police later found child pornography on his laptop and one of his cellphones. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will further examine Askelson's phones and computers.
Askelson was arrested Thursday and made his first court appearance Friday. His next hearing is set for March 31.
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