Edmonds school employee faces porn charge

By Jennifer Sullivan
Times Snohomish County bureau

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Timothy Buckley, 51, has been suspended from the district with pay since spring, when district officials learned that he was under investigation. He worked as a educational assistant at Terrace Park K-8 School. He previously worked as a custodian at Seaview Elementary.

Buckley was charged Tuesday with one count of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Charging papers filed in Snohomish County Superior Court say that investigators learned about the photos of young girls, dressed in underwear and striking provocative poses, from Buckley's nephew who discovered them on Buckley's home computer, which his uncle asked him to repair.

It is not believed any of the photos depict Edmonds students.

In addition to those photos, however, charging papers say investigators also found "dozens of pictures of fully clothed young girls obviously photographed surreptitiously while they were at school." Charging documents said the photos "focused on the girls' rear ends and crotches."

School district spokeswoman Debbie Jakala said the photos appear to have been taken in the hallways at Seaview Elementary and Terrace Park schools.

She said that district officials didn't tell parents about the allegations against Buckley because they thought it might jeopardize the Sheriff's Office investigation.

Jakala said Buckley will be fired if he is convicted of the child-pornography charge. District officials are also investigating whether taking photos of Edmonds students is a fireable offense.

Jakala said it is not against school policy for district employees to photograph students as they walk through the halls during the school day. But she said, "There is an assumed sense of responsibility for employees to have appropriate behavior with the kids."

School-district officials are also investigating why Buckley was hired in 1994 despite having a criminal record, although she said the district does not have a policy forbidding such a hire. "We have nothing in policy that says flat out the Edmonds School District does not hire convicted felons," said Jakala.

Buckley was convicted of second-degree burglary and second-degree arson in 1984. Jakala said that when Buckley was hired, he underwent a criminal-background check.

Jennifer Sullivan: 425-783-0604 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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