BEL AIR, Md. — A Harford County elementary school music teacher is accused of downloading and distributing child pornography.
Dominic LaFrancesca has been teaching at George D. Lisby Elementary School since 2022.
Earlier this year the Harford County Sheriff's Office was tipped off about suspicious internet usage by LaFrancesca, leading to a search and seizure warrant being executed at his Bel Air home.
“Our detectives started sorting through the evidence from the tip and started doing an investigation and developed probably cause for a search warrant, went to the house in Bel Air to execute that search warrant, found evidence of child pornography in the house and then placed Dominic Lafrancesca under arrest,” said Col. William Davis of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
According charging documents, the images depicted children as young as a year old being exposed or molested.
In addition to downloading the pictures and sharing them with other adults online, LaFrancesca reportedly confessed to committing disturbing acts, which are too graphic to publish, while inside his classroom.
Despite the admission, investigators haven't indicated that any of LaFrancesca's students were directly victimized, although charging documents do allege he took one photo of a student fully clothed.
Prior to working at George D. Lisby Elementary, LaFrancesca spent two years as a roving substitute teacher at William S. James, Dublin, Magnolia, and Bakerfield elementary schools as well as Fallston High.
LaFrancesca has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately.
"We hold our staff to the highest standards and expectations. The accusation that a staff member has violated these standards is devastating," the school system said in a statement. "We are committed to maintaining transparency and keeping all families informed during this difficult time."
The school system said a phone call would go out Tuesday night to parents and guardians reminding them to check their emails about the events surrounding LaFrancesca.
“If there is anybody out in the community that knows a child may have been exploited or if somebody knows this person and thinks that the person might have been exploited, please give us a call,” said Davis.
