Ex-Cheltenham Teacher Charged With Child Porn Distribution: Prosecutor

CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — A former Cheltenham elementary school teacher faces charges after New Jersey authorities said he shared child pornography on social media.

Kenneth Vaughn, 35, of Peapack, N.J., was charged with second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse materials and third-degree possession of child sexual abuse materials, the Somerset County (N.J.) Prosecutor John P. McDonald announced this week.

Vaughn was serving as an elementary school teacher in Branchburg, N.J., but was employed by the Cheltenham School District during the 2022-2023 school year after being hired as a fourth-grade teacher in 2020, school officials said.

“This news is extremely difficult to share," Cheltenham Schools Superintendent Brian W. Scriven said in a notice to the school community. "Protecting the well-being of our students is our most important charge, one which we take very seriously."

Scriven said the school district’s counselors and mental health professionals are available to provide emotional support.

“While we are not aware that any district students have been victimized in any way, we encourage parents/guardians to speak to their children, and, if any additional information comes to light, we encourage you to contact Cheltenham Township Police Department,” Scriven stated.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office(SCPO) was notified by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force about a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning files depicting sexual abuse and/or the exploitation of a minor via a social media and messaging platform, authorities said.

An investigation by SCPO detectives identified Vaughn as the suspect responsible for distributing and possessing the files depicting the sexual abuse and/or exploitation of a minor via a social media and messaging platform.

He was then taken into custody without incident and taken to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Vaughn was being held in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing, but was released pending a future court appearance.

Patch Staff Writer Alexis Tarrazi contributed to this story