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CEDAR CITY — A former school counselor for the Iron County School District was arrested Friday for allegedly accessing pornography and inappropriately touching several women on school grounds.
Samuel Naim El-Halta, a counselor at Cedar Middle School, was arrested Friday following a three-month investigation by Cedar City Police Department. He was arrested on 10 counts of suspicion of accessing pornography or indecent material while on school property, a class A misdemeanor and seven counts of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.
In November, police became aware that El-Halta had looked up pornographic images using a work computer, Cedar police Sgt. Jimmy Roden said. Police began an investigation at that time, securing a warrant to search the computer, on which they discovered at least 10 pornographic images, he said. The images were linked directly to El-Halta’s personal accounts, police said in a press release.
That same month, the school district terminated El-Halta’s employment, based on the pornography investigation, Jennifer Wood, director of secondary education for the Iron County School District, said. He had been employed by the district for about seven years at that time.
During the investigation, seven women told police El-Halta had inappropriately touched them, police said. Generally, it occurred on the breasts and buttocks over the clothing, the release said.
No evidence points to victimization of students, Roden said.
Friday afternoon, El-Halta was arrested and booked into the Iron County Correctional Facility without incident.
Contributing: Lee Lonsberry
