Savannah-Chatham middle school teacher arrested on child pornography charges

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah-Chatham school teacher is accused of having electronic images of child pornography.

Albin Jose Chellathurai, 39, is a Mercer Middle School 8th grade math teacher. He was arrested by Savannah Police on Nov. 1. He was charged with computer or electronic pornography which is a felony under Georgia law that seeks to prevent child exploitation.

Chatham County bookings site shows the Mercer Middle School teacher was arrested again this Wednesday with more felony charges of child molestation, cruelty to children, criminal attempt and false statements and writings.

According to a school district official, they’re not aware of school system computers or school property being involved in the crimes.

School board member Dr. Tonia Howard-Hall represents district 8, which Mercer Middle falls under. In a statement she says in part, “Not only do we require that our educators have an extensive comprehensive background check, we require them to adhere to the requirements of the professional standards commission. We will maintain to be vigilant by taking all allegations very seriously and will take the necessary actions that are in the best interest of student’s safety and well-being.”

While the investigation continues, he’s still employed by the district. School district officials say he has been assigned to an alternate location without any student interaction. The school system said this is standard procedure when an allegation of inappropriate conduct is made against a teacher.

WTOC also spoke to district 2 school board member Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown who says, “I think it’s really important because it puts the children and their families first. I think also the fact that we remove individuals in contact with children while their rights are being honored and they are reassigned indicates we respect the rights of individuals to a full investigation.”

The middle school teacher’s Georgia accreditation shows no disciplinary history.

Parents have been notified of the situation and Hoskins-Brown says SPD and Board of Education police are investigating.

Full Statement from Dr. Tonia Howard Hall:

“All of our schools are committed to ensure that our students are provided with a safe and conducive learning environment. We are committed to offer the very best for our students as we hold all of our educators accountable to high standards. The safety and security of our students have and will always be our top priorities. Not only do we require that our educators have an extensive comprehensive background check, we require them to adhere to the requirements of the professional standards commission. We will maintain to be vigilant by taking all allegations very seriously and will take the necessary actions that are in the best interest of student’s safety and well-being. We hold fast to our commitment to protect our students using the best available resources, including human, technology, and community.”

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