South St. Paul Schools IT director resigns after child porn charge

Nick Ferraro, Pioneer Press
3 min read
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The director of technology for South St. Paul schools resigned last week after he was charged with possessing child pornography at his Hudson home.

Investigators searched Paul Michael Brashear’s home on March 6 and found a computer flash drive with hundreds of images of child pornography, according to a criminal complaint filed against the 63-year-old on March 13 in St. Croix County Circuit Court.

The school district said in letters it sent to families last week that Brashear was put on administrative leave after his March 6 arrest and that the district is cooperating with law enforcement and other law enforcement agencies. He resigned March 14.

The school district said law enforcement “has indicated the allegations against [Brashear] did not appear to occur on district property or any of its district devices.” Brashear’s job was a district office-based position “responsible for the oversight of technology operations and infrastructure and does not have direct or daily contact with students,” the district said.

Brashear has been charged with one count of possession of child pornography. He made an initial court appearance March 13 and was released from jail the same day after posting a $5,000 cash bond. A defense attorney is not listed in court records.

According to the criminal complaint, the St. Croix County sheriff’s office began an investigation March 6 after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which reported that Microsoft flagged an image on Oct. 30 as “apparent child pornography.”

Investigators traced the image, which showed a nude prepubescent girl on a bed, to an IP address connected to Brashear’s home.

Investigators executed a search warrant of the home on March 6, and brought Brashear outside. Although he was not under arrest at the time, he agreed to talk to a sheriff’s office investigator.

In the conversation, which was recorded by the investigator’s body-worn camera, Brashear admitted to saving and storing child pornography on a flash drive that could be found in his desk drawer in the basement, the complaint says.

Brashear said no child pornography was on his work computer and he “denied any allegations of inappropriate issues with children at his current place of employment,” the complaint states.

Brashear said he has been addicted to pornography for several decades and that “he could not recall where the line was for him when he started to venture into child pornography, but said it has been at least a couple years,” the complaint states. He said the last time he viewed child pornography could have been within the past week, but he was unsure.

Brashear told investigators he started work in IT after leaving teaching, the complaint says.

A digital forensic examiner seized electronics and the flash drive, which contained child pornography. Brashear was arrested and booked into the St. Croix County jail.

Investigators used software to extract files found on the SanDisk flash drive. An image folder contained hundreds of images of suspected child pornography that ranged from toddler to pubescent victims, according to the complaint.

“The majority observed while scrolling was prepubescent females engaged in various sexual acts,” an investigator wrote in his report.

The school district did not provide information Monday to the Pioneer Press after a data practices request was made seeking additional information about Brashear, including his hire date and whether his personnel file includes any prior complaints. The district said it is reviewing the request and will respond in accordance with state law.

Brashear is due back in court Wednesday.

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