FBI Searching For Teacher Accused Of Producing Child Porn
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WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami) -- The FBI wants everyone to get a good look at Corey Perry.
Perry, 33, is a middle school teacher at Watkins Elementary in Palm Beach Gardens, charged with Production of Child Porn, Receipt of Child Porn and Enticement.
Investigators are afraid his reach could be well beyond his school.
"Right now, we're looking for everyone who may have had contact," said the FBI's Michael Leverock. "It may have been other schools locally, it could have been other schools nationally or other countries."
Parents raced to school once the news broke. Some left work so they could have a difficult talk with their kids.
"My child has gone on a field trip with this man," said Carolyn Bennett. "I just spoke with him and he said there's nothing, he never talked to him out of the way. I said, 'You be honest about it. If you need to talk, let's do it now.'"
Robert Avossa is the School Superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools. He said a police raid on Friday found multiple electronic devices.
"As a lifelong educator, I am disgusted at what I have learned," said Avossa.
The school district recognized several of their students on the devices. There are multiple victims, according to the FBI, who added the case has "national" implications.
"He broke a sacred professional code and I cannot, and will not, forgive him for that," Avossa added.
Perry has worked with children his entire career. Before moving to South Florida, he worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Nashville, as well as Tallahassee.
Perry was hired by the Palm Beach school district in 2005. His first teaching job was in Riviera Beach at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School. Multiple evaluations found him to be "Highly Effective." His boss pointed out he "enriches students very successfully" and "did an outstanding job taking the lead as the Teacher for the Math, Science and Robotics Academy."
He even got a letter of recognition from the governor. In addition to teaching, Perry was also a basketball coach and the head of an after-school robotics club.
For students, the allegations are shocking.
"He's a nice person, he was like a father figure toward me," said student Armoni Dettering. "He wasn't bad or anything around me. He was like, telling me to do the right thing all the time."
Perry was last seen about a week ago on March 24th, around 2 p.m.
Federal authorities ask for parents or guardians, who believe their child may have had electronic or social media contact with Perry, to preserve the communications for review by investigators.
Anyone with information as to his whereabouts, or who thinks they may be a victim, is urged to call the FBI in Miami at (754) 703-2000.