Corey Dejuan Perry of West Palm Beach, Florida is wanted by the FBI on child pornography charges, the agency announced on Wednesday. A federal warrant for his arrest was issued on Tuesday for receipt of child pornography, production of child pornography, and enticement.
Perry, 33, was a Palm Beach Gardens middle school teacher, but he has since been suspended by the school district. He was last seen in the West Palm Beach area on the afternoon of March 24.
According to news sources, Perry was a teacher and basketball coach at H. L. Watkins Middle School in Palm Beach Gardens. He also launched the school’s Robotics and Engineering Academy and was even recognized by the governor for his efforts.
Robert Avossa, the Palm Beach County Superintendent, told the press during a news conference on Wednesday that some of Perry’s former students are believed to be possible victims in the case based on evidence found in devices authorities seized from Perry’s home on March 24.
“We’ve made all of our assets available to their families in terms of counseling, as well as other students at the school,” Avossa said. “As a lifelong educator, I am disgusted at what I have learned . . . this individual has embarrassed his school, his community and his entire profession by harming the most important thing entrusted to him, our students.”
The FBI are asking anyone with information on Perry’s whereabouts, or who thinks they may be a victim, to contact the agency’s office in Miami or to call their local police department (911). Parents or guardians who believe their children may have made contact with Perry via social media are also urged to call the FBI and preserve any communications for investigators as possible evidence.
Another child pornography involving a school employee was reported in Miami Beach last month. Don Clippinger of Miami Beach, Florida was arrested on January 31 for allegedly viewing child pornography on the internet.
Clippinger was the assistant principal at Fienberg-Fisher K-8 Center. He is being charged with “access with intent to view” child pornography and was released on $200,000 bond.
According to the criminal complaint, Clippinger was reportedly a member of an online “room” where users streamed child porn. An undercover agent logged into a computer application that granted users access to the “room” and saw a user named “666perv” streaming a video of himself masturbating while watching child porn on at least three occasions in November 2015.
Federal agents subpoenaed records from the application and AT&T tracked the IP address of user “666perv” to Clippinger. He was arrested on January 31 by federal agents with the help of the Miami Beach Police Department. After his arrest, he allegedly told investigators that he used the application to watch child porn in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon.
According to statistics from the Crimes Against Children Research Center, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse. In Florida alone, between 360,000 and 596,000 children are or will become victims of sexual abuse before turning 18. That’s between 9% and 15% of the state’s child population.