Westerville JH aide, coach busted for child porn

A Westerville man who coached and aided minors has been charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.

Donte Martin, 29, was arrested at Walnut Springs Middle School as part of a countywide investigation into alleged cybercrimes, conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, reports 10TV.

He was immediately terminated upon arrest.

Martin was employed through the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio and had been working at Westerville since 2016.

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He was an instructional aide at Blendon Middle School during the 2016-17 school year and an instructional aide at Walnut Springs Middle School for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.

Martin coached wrestling and eighth-grade football at Walnut Springs during the 2017-18 school year, and he coached seventh-grade football at Walnut Springs during the current 2018-19 school year.

He also has served as an assistant girls track coach at Blendon Middle School since 2016.

A letter released to the community by Westerville City Schools said in part:

Needless to say, this is a shock to everyone. At this time, students have not been informed of this situation. We will have additional counselors on site for anyone who may need support. We have asked our staff members to keep a watchful eye for any students who may be struggling to process this unfortunate situation.

As this is an ongoing investigation, we do not have many details. Law enforcement officials will determine what we will be able to share in the future. We pledge our continued cooperation during the investigation and support to our students, staff and families as we move forward.

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