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SALT LAKE CITY — Criminal charges were filed Tuesday against a former West Valley middle school teacher accused of bringing child-pornography scrapbooks to his classroom.
Michael Scott Hatfield, 58, of Midvale, was charged in 3rd District Court with seven counts of exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and three counts accessing pornography or indecent material on school property, a class A misdemeanor.
Hatfield has been dismissed from American Preparatory Academy, 3636 W. 3100 South, the school said Monday.
Investigators found no evidence suggesting his students were victims, according to an email sent to parents and faculty. They looked into his behavior after a school surveillance employee observed him "covering the camera inside his classroom," charging documents state.
The school said covering cameras "is unacceptable," and administrators immediately began investigating before putting Hatfield on leave within hours.
A school surveillance employee reviewed the video and observed Hatfield produce a black bag from his desk before blocking the lens, court documents say, but audio was recorded.
The employee believed the teacher was masturbating April 6, April 18 and April 20, according to charging documents.
School administrators found two "albums" of child pornography in the bag and called West Valley police, who served a warrant and found the scrapbooks, a pornographic DVD and lotion, a police affidavit states.
Officers recounted "meticulous attention in the creation" of the 26-page books.
The school said a criminal background check a year ago turned up no incidents.
No court dates have been set for Hatfield, who is being held in Salt Lake County Jail.
