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Custodian from Indian Trail Elementary Arrested on Serious Charges
A custodian employed at Indian Trail Elementary School in Columbus has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest on Friday afternoon. The incident was initially reported by WBNS 10TV.
Rick Andermatt, 41, faces multiple criminal charges, including pandering obscenities involving a minor and pandering sexually oriented matter regarding a minor, the report states.
The mother of a 16-year-old victim contacted the Columbus police on Monday, stating that the victim, who does not attend Indian Trail Elementary, was confirmed to be safe.
According to the investigation, Andermatt is accused of engaging in communication with the victim over several months, during which he allegedly attempted to arrange meetings for sexual purposes.
The victim informed the authorities that she had sent explicit videos to Andermatt in the past but had since deleted them.
A detective later took control of the victim’s phone to gather evidence, successfully retrieving the videos and photos previously sent to Andermatt. The detective was also able to obtain an explicit photo from Andermatt himself.
After his arrest, Andermatt reportedly admitted to possessing the explicit materials and acknowledged that he was aware the victim was a minor.
In response to the situation, the Canal Winchester Local School District released a statement indicating that the custodian was placed on administrative leave immediately after the arrest. The statement read:
“The district placed a second-shift custodian on administrative leave effective immediately on Friday, April 25, after learning that the employee was arrested on charges of pandering sexually oriented material to a minor. The employee has been notified that they are not allowed to be on school property or attend any district events while on administrative leave.”
The statement further emphasized, “While we understand that this matter does not involve any of our students, we take the safety and well-being of all children seriously. We will continue to cooperate fully with the Columbus Police Department in their investigation and follow state law and our district policies to take the appropriate and necessary steps.”
Andermatt’s arraignment was held on Saturday, where his bond was set at $750,000. He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 5.
Source
www.yahoo.com