A Winchester middle-school teacher is facing a felony child pornography charge after a court arraignment prompted the district to pull him from the classroom and lock him out of school buildings. Jason Van Dinter, an eighth-grade teacher at McCall Middle School, pleaded not guilty in Lowell District Court and is set to be back before a judge next month.
Arraignment and court orders
Van Dinter was arraigned June 12 on a single count of possession of child pornography. A not-guilty plea was entered, and Judge Cara L. Krysil set bail at $10,000 cash or $100,000 bond. If bail is not posted, the court ordered that he be committed to the Middlesex County House of Correction. The judge also imposed conditions that restrict his computer use and limit his contact with minors. He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on July 7, according to The Boston Globe.
Docket details and school response
Court records list Dec. 2, 2025, as the date of the alleged offense and show that Roland L. Milliard was added as appointed counsel for bail purposes. The docket also notes that Van Dinter is subject to GPS monitoring and was ordered to surrender his passport. In a message to families, Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett said Van Dinter had been placed on immediate leave, barred from all district buildings, and directed to have no contact with students. Hackett added that the district has “no evidence suggesting” the charges involve Winchester students, according to Winchester News.
What the law says
The charge falls under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 272, section 29C, which makes it a crime to possess visual material that shows minors engaged in sexual conduct. A first-offense conviction can carry a penalty of up to five years in state prison, up to 2 1/2 years in the house of correction, and potential fines under state law. The statutory language and related guidance are detailed on Mass.gov.
Next steps and community impact
Van Dinter is scheduled to return to Lowell District Court on July 7 for a pretrial hearing. For now, the public record consists of the arraignment, the release conditions, and the next court date, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office has not commented publicly. The allegations remain accusations, and Van Dinter is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
