Harford County teacher accused of possessing and distributing child pornography, police say

BALTIMORE -- A Harford County teacher has been arrested and charged with possessing and distributing child pornography. 

Dominic Lafrancesca worked at the George D. Lisby Elementary School at Hillsdale, where he taught music. He has since been placed on administrative leave, according to Harford County Public Schools.

Lafrancesca is held without bail at the Harford County Detention Center, and charged with 11 counts related to the possession and distribution of child pornography. 

According to police, detectives with the Harford County Child Advocacy Center received a tip about suspicious internet activity related to the downloading of sexually explicit images of children who appeared to be between 1 and 13 years old.

The detectives identified Lafrancesca, 27, of Bel Air, as the suspect. After securing a search and seizure warrant, police arrested Lafrancesca at his home. 

"How could you do that when you're in the position that you're in?" a parent said. "You're supposed to be protecting and showing love to the children."

Police said Lafrancesca admitted to routinely downloading photos of children that are considered child pornography under Maryland law, and sharing those photos online with other adults. The suspect allegedly said some of the pornography was watched while in school, according to court documents.

"Our detectives now are combing through all those pieces of media and trying to see if there are actual videos that he had videoed or if it was just videos he downloaded off the internet," said Col. William Davis, with the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say that while interviewing Lafrancesca, he allegedly admitted to also taking a video of a fully clothed student for his personal use. 

"If they believe their child was a student and potentially a victim of this individual, it's prudent to have that conversation with your child to see if there's anything suspicious," Davis said.

HCPS released a statement regarding the investigation Tuesday morning, saying in part, "We hold our staff to the highest standards and expectations. The accusation that a staff member has violated these standards is devastating. We want to assure our community that we will continue to fully support the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in their investigation. We are committed to maintaining transparency and keeping all families informed during this difficult time."

Lafrancesca began working at George D. Lisby Elementary School in 2022, and worked as a substitute teacher from 2020 to 2022 at William S. James Elementary, Dublin Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, Bakerfield Elementary, and Fallston High School, according to HCPS. 

Detectives are working with the Sheriff's Office Digital Forensics Unit to analyze multiple electronic devices seized during court-ordered searches. 

Anyone who has information about victims, or relevant information about inappropriate actions by Lafrancesca is asked to contact Detective Reynolds at the Harford County Child Advocacy Center at 443-409-3502.