MARNE, Mich. — Michigan State Police arrested a Kentwood Public Schools custodian who is accused of possessing and distributing child sexually abusive material.
MSP investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested 42-year-old Benjamin Baine, of Marne, following an undercover investigation into his online activity.
Baine worked second-shift as a custodian at Discover Elementary School. He's now on a leave of absence pending the results of the investigation.
He was arraigned in 58th District Court on Thursday.
Kentwood Public Schools says they were informed late Wednesday afternoon that an employee was arrested due to allegations of misconduct that occurred off school property and was unrelated to the district or its students.
“While the issues do not involve the district, we have high expectations for the conduct of our employees,” said District Superintendent Kevin Polston. “When behaviors are not aligned with district expectations, we will take disciplinary action, which at times may result in termination.”
The district said it is fully cooperating with law enforcement.
The MSP Computer Crimes Unit encourages parents to speak to their children about the safe use of the Internet. There are many resources available to parents to assist in keeping children safe online.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website at http://www.missingkids.org.
The MSP ICAC Task Force also provides resources at http://www.michiganicac.com.
If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, report it to the CyberTipLine at http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline.
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