WEST FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Charges have been filed in Cass County Court against a former West Fargo Public Schools elementary principal.
David Preston George, 39, is charged with one count of promoting or directing an obscene sexual performance by a minor, and six counts of possession of child pornography. All seven charges are felonies. George made his first court appearance from his jail cell on Wednesday, August 16, and a judge set bail at $250,000.
According to court documents, the investigation started after a cybertip was filed on June 10, 2023, with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by Instagram. Investigators say the Instagram account was traced back to the home of David George in Fargo, ND.
Court documents allege George was chatting and sharing photos with other users via Instagram. In one of the chats, George says “only want boy 4-10″ when messaging about exchanging photos with another user. Investigators say George received several images and videos of child sexual abuse material, which included boys between the ages of five and 14 years old.
Investigation also revealed that George allegedly shared photos of children that he knew. When asked about the photos, George told investigators it was a family friend and he couldn’t explain how the images would have been uploaded. When asked about all of the evidence, George stated “he was a numbers guy and thought with the facts that it would be less than probably 1% that someone else could have done it,” according to court records.
The West Fargo Public School District sent out a notice to families of Independence Elementary School saying on Aug. 14, 2023, they were notified Principal David George was arrested. Since the arrest, the district says George has requested to submit his resignation to West Fargo Public Schools.
In the email to families, the district says, “We know this news is unexpected and may cause stress for you or your learner(s). We want to assure you that Assistant Principal Kaye Fischer, with additional support from former Independence Principal Mike Shea, and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Rachael Agre, will be available throughout this transition until a more permanent plan is put into place.
Since this is both a personnel matter and an open investigation with law enforcement, West Fargo Public Schools cannot comment further at this time.”
A former student of George’s shared their perspective on the matter, revealing that the news of his arrest did not come as a shock. They recounted how students had made jokes about George’s behavior, often labeling him with derogatory terms such as “pedo” or “pedophile,” due to his interactions with girls, particularly.
“The news didn’t come as a shock, I mainly just said Oh wow, he actually did it,” Cassie Sherrodd said. “There were kids that would make jokes that he was a pedophile and stuff just because of the way he interacted with girls especially.”
On April 28, 2023, the district sent out a news release saying David George will be appointed as the principal of Independence Elementary, after serving as the assistant principal at Cheney Middle School. At that time, the district said George had worked for the school system since 2013 with a total of 15 years of experience in education.
While at Cheney Middle School, the district said George held the activities director portfolio, coordinated the ND state assessment process and lead the Site Based Leadership Team.
Valley News Live received the full personnel file for George from the West Fargo School District on Wednesday morning. George has has positive evaluations from supervisors and glowing recommendation letters from colleges, many stating excellent rapport with the students. George was praised multiple times for taking on additional roles at the school, going the extra mile to make sure students from diverse backgrounds are included and celebrated, and was praised for taking time to connect with students and teachers.
The only negative comments were in recent reviews that he could be following up with teachers, especially new teachers more often to make sure they are adhering to the school’s instructional model. The personnel file did not include any complaints or disciplinary action against George.
Copyright 2023 KVLY. All rights reserved.
UPDATE: West Fargo elementary principal charged with possession of child porn - KVLY
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