A former elementary school teacher in Austin has been indicted on heinous charges relating to the alleged downloading and possession of child pornography, according to reports that surfaced on Tuesday. Carl David Innmon, 50, who once taught fifth grade at Baranoff Elementary School, faced a federal grand jury's indictment, as per the documents obtained by CBS Austin. Between December 29, 2024, and January 15, 2025, Innmon is accused of having used BitTorrent to download several batches of files that contained a distressing total of 126 files, displaying a wide range of children in sexually explicit situations, including an infant and two young girls aged between four and seven.
The deeply disturbing case escalated further, according to evidence detailed in the court documents obtained by KVUE, revealing that more than 365,000 images of child sexual abuse were uncovered across various devices, such as Innmon's iPhone and a portable hard drive. Aided by the technology of artificial intelligence, Innmon reportedly manipulated photographs of his own students from Baranoff Elementary School, creating explicit images of the children. As the details of Innmon's espionage under our very noses unfurled, it became apparent that the man who had taught children their language of hands had betrayed them in the most despicable way imaginable.
Several agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Independent School District Police, were involved in the investigation leading up to Innmon's arrest. He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count if conviction follows. This is a particularly grave situation for a man who not only occupied a position of trust but also had extensive access to young minds, having served at 20 district schools over his career. The schools named include Akins ECHS, Anderson High School, and the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, among others.
After being apprised of the investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety in early March, Austin ISD put Innmon on administrative leave on March 11, with an arrest following soon after "files of interest" were reportedly found in his possession, continuing with the same meticulous carelessness that marked his downloads. Reported by KVUE, the Austin ISD's Board of Trustees terminated Innmon's employment on March 28, sealing the end of what was once seen as an honorable career in education.
The allegations and pending legal outcomes serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the digital age's youngest citizens and the profound responsibility that adults, especially educators, hold in safeguarding their well-being. For the community, the indictment of Carl David Innmon marks not just a personal downfall, but a shattering breach of public trust that will necessitate a long process of healing and reassessment of protective measures in our schools.
