An Eastpointe elementary school teacher has been arrested and is facing charges for possession and transportation of child exploitation materials. Martin Waskowski, a teacher at Pleasantview Elementary School, was apprehended on Wednesday, December 3, at a Vermont-Canada border crossing, as reported by ClickOnDetroit. Upon being checked by border patrol agents, Waskowski was found to have several photos and videos of prepubescent boys engaged in sexual acts with adults on his phone.
Following his arrest, multiple devices were found after Michigan State Police performed a search at Waskowski’s residence, where over 12,000 files perceived to be child sexual abuse material were uncovered on a hard drive. Waskowski, who had taught at the school for three years, was put on administrative leave by Eastpointe Community Schools once they were informed of the situation by Michigan State Police and the Department of Homeland Security. Informing the local community, the school said, "the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority," and actions are taken unrelated to the criminal investigation's outcome to prioritize students, as Audacy's coverage outlined.
In their statement, Eastpointe Community Schools expressed that there had been no prior allegations against Waskowski. Notified on Friday, December 5, the district responded by arranging a long-term substitute to maintain the classroom's instructional continuity. According to a FOX 2 Detroit report, Waskowski has been released on a GPS tether pending his preliminary hearing scheduled for December 23 at 1 p.m. in Vermont.
The case continues to unfold as Homeland Security Investigations has set up a dedicated email for reports of concerning behavior connected to Waskowski ([email protected]). For students dealing with questions or concerns, Eastpointe Community Schools has made school social workers available. The district reiterated in their communications that, despite the charges being allegations and Waskowski's presumption of innocence until proven guilty, their approach is to always act in the best interest of the children.
