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An employee at J. Watson Bailey Middle School in Kingston is on administrative leave following his arrest by State Police. Alan Depace, 23, who works as a cleaner at the school, faces charges of possessing a sexual performance by a child under 16 and unlawful surveillance. The investigation began after a cybertip was received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
According to New York State Police, Depace was found with numerous images and videos related to child exploitation. He is also accused of obtaining inappropriate images of an individual without their consent. The arrest followed a search warrant executed on his person and electronic devices.
Depace was arrested on Wednesday (April 16) and processed at SP Kingston. He was released with an appearance ticket for Kingston City Court on May 6. Superintendent Paul Padalino confirmed that Depace is on unpaid administrative leave from the school, as reported by the Daily Freeman.
The investigation continues, and Depace's next court appearance is pending. Anyone who needs to talk can call 800-273-8255 no matter the time of day.