South Jersey teacher facing charges of having child sexual abuse material in his home

HADDON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A 53-year-old South Jersey teacher was arrested and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material offenses on Tuesday.

According to Camden County prosecutors, the items were discovered after a search of David Checchio's residence in Haddon Township.

Court documents state that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted authorities after receiving a tip from Discord, a messaging app and social media platform.

Authorities say this led investigators to a Discord account owned by Checchio, which contained illegal images or videos depicting children.

Checchio is a teacher at Cumberland Regional High School in Cumberland County.

The school district released the following statement on the arrest:

"The Camden County Prosecutor's Office has informed the Cumberland Regional School District that one of our staff members has been charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. We were further assured that none of our Cumberland Regional students were involved in this case whatsoever. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement regarding this investigation and have taken all necessary measures to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our students."

Officials did not confirm whether Checchio is still employed at the school.

Students told Action News they were shocked by this news.

"One of my friends sent it to me on Instagram and I was like, 'Whoa. I didn't know that happened. That's crazy,'" said student Allison Weber.

According to a bio that is no longer on the district's website, Checchio works as a special education teacher.

"If it's proven, he needs to be dealt with accordingly," said Lisa Fiorani from Bridgeton.

One longtime teacher told Action News that the allegations are deeply concerning.

"It breaks a trust. For many of these kids, we're their parents. We're their next in line when their parents aren't available. We're their families. And if they find these things out about this person, they think, 'I could've been next,'" said Shari Rupertus from Upper Deerfield Township.

Action News reached out to Checchio for comment and has not heard back.