LAYTON, Utah — The director of a charter elementary school in northern Utah was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of sexually exploiting minors by way of distributing child pornography — and even being involved in producing it.
Jared Dallan Buckley, 40, is the lead director and superintendent at Leadership Learning Academy, a K-6 public charter school with campuses in Ogden and Layton.
An arrest report for Buckley states that investigators in New York identified an account that was distributing and selling "child sexual abuse material." They traced the account to a device in Utah, and local law enforcement said they determined it was a phone belonging to Buckley.
Buckley's phone was seized with a warrant, and he was taken into custody. The material allegedly in Buckley's possession included graphic images of prepubescent girls.
"Preliminary information, collected by the investigators who received this material, also suggests that the suspect could be involved in the production of child sexual abuse material involving children outside of the United States," the arresting officer wrote in a probable cause statement.
Buckley was booked into the Davis County Jail on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. He was ordered to be held without bail.
FOX 13 News initially learned of Buckley's arrest when a parent forwarded an email from Leadership Learning Academy, informing students' families of the news. School administrators said they learned of his arrest on Tuesday, the same day it happened. They assured parents that the alleged crimes do not involve any of their students.
"This situation is both shocking and heartbreaking," the email read. "Please know that the safety and well-being of our students is—and always will be—our highest priority. Mr. Buckley has been placed on administrative leave and his access to LLA school buildings and systems has been revoked. We are working closely with local authorities and school personnel to ensure that LLA continues to be a safe, stable, and supportive place for learning."
In addition to his position at the charter school, court documents said Buckley was involved in local youth sports.
