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Orange County elementary school employee arrested on child pornography charges

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County Public Schools employee was arrested Tuesday, accused of possessing and sharing child pornography.

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According to the Orlando Police Department, officers with their SWAT, Special Victims and Violent Crimes Units served a search warrant Tuesday morning at the home of 27-year-old Christopher Lazaro Ruiz in reference to a child pornography investigation.

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During an interview, police say Ruiz admitted to sending and possessing multiple images and videos depicting children performing sexual acts.

Ruiz was booked into the Orange County jail on 10 counts of possession of material depicting a sexual performance by a child, three counts of transmission of child pornography and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, all third-degree felonies.

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Police identified Ruiz as an employee of the Orange County Public Schools system. He was employed as an Extended day worker at Baldwin Park Elementary School since the end of last year, according to the police department. According to an Orange County Public Schools spokesperson, Ruiz was immediately fired after the arrest.

Because of his employment history, police say they plan to conduct follow-up interviews with the children at the school who were in his care.

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They’re asking anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of Ruiz to contact the Orlando Police Department’s Special Victims Unit.

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