Needham elementary school employee arrested on child porn charges

A worker at a Needham elementary school has been arrested on alleged child porn charges, school officials tell Boston 25 News.

Christopher Carlisle, 30, a worker with the Needham Extended Day Program at Eliot Elementary School, has been charged with possession of child pornography, distribution of obscene material, and possession of more than 10 ounces of Class D Substances.

At his arraignment in Wrentham District Court on Tuesday, Carlisle pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered to have no contact with children.

“We have not received any information from law enforcement that Needham Public Schools students were involved or harmed in any way,” Needham Superintendent Dan Gutekanst said.

Counseling for students was made available on Tuesday and will be again on Wednesday, June 18th from 10 a.m to noon at Eliot Elementary School.

Carlisle’s arrest comes after Needham band director Spencer Parrish and middle school teacher Michael Ciccolella were both arrested on similar charges.

“It will be necessary for the district to reflect on and consider how these events have unfolded to ensure that we are doing everything possible for the safety of our students; this includes the recruitment, hiring, and supervision of all staff and contracted employees,” said Gutekanst.

On March 7, Needham Public Schools teacher Michael Ciccolella, 47, of Ashland, was held on $500,000 bail following his arraignment in Framingham District Court. He was also ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children under 18, not to use the internet and to submit to home confinement with a GPS monitoring device.

Parrish was charged with alleged possession of child pornography in April.

The superintendent says a virtual meeting for families will be Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. and parents will be able to speak with the director if the Needham Extended Day Program.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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