Thirty-year-old Austin Claseman, a former teacher at a Bemidji, Minnesota, charter school, is behind bars facing serious charges after investigators say he was sharing and collecting CSAM. According to police, Claseman has been charged with two felony counts of disseminating CSAM involving minors under 14 and five counts of possession of the same.

The case began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off Bemidji authorities about three files uploaded in April to Kik, the messaging app notorious for its anonymity and lack of safeguards. Kik lets users connect through usernames rather than phone numbers, making it a long-time haven for sex offenders, pedophiles, CSAM collectors, and child traffickers.

It’s not surprising Claseman came from a charter school, since charter schools themselves are scams propped up on shaky promises and little accountability. And as my wonderful partner and editor Lady Gray pointed out, this assclown could potentially get hired as a teacher in another state, but I digress.

When officers arrived with a search warrant, Claseman reportedly fainted, collapsing onto one of them before being cleared by EMS. That reaction alone says more than any denial could.

What came next was even more disturbing. Claseman allegedly told officers he was part of a Kik group chat called “Teachers for Students,” where CSAM was shared. He admitted he would download images there, claiming that some were “vanilla stuff,” while others could have been “borderline.” Vanilla? Borderline? That’s so past the borderline of vanilla, he’s set up a sex cult compound on Rocky Road.

He tried to downplay the severity, but investigators later found he had sent files to at least two other users.

A search of his home turned up a phone, a laptop, and several flash drives. Five images of CSAM involving children under 14 were found, along with a selfie linking the account directly to him. The school issued a statement saying the alleged conduct did not involve students or occur on school grounds and that Claseman has resigned from both his position and the school board.

Once again, we’re left with the same bitter truth. Another teacher, someone entrusted with the safety and well-being of our kids, has turned out to be a Kik predator.

What he didn’t turn out to be is a drag queen.

(Source)

• Bemidji Charter School Teacher Charged with Child Porn Distribution, Possession