A driver for the public schools in Milford, Massachusetts, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly having images of child sexual abuse.
Robert Nolan, a 27-year-old from Milford, pleaded not guilty in Milford District Court Thursday on charges of possessing and disseminating images of child sexual abuse. A judge ordered a $10,000 cash bail. If Nolan pays, he will be placed under house arrest with no access to the internet.
Milford police said that Nolan was a school bus driver for Milford Public Schools, but noted that there was no indication any local students were depicted in the imagery.
Milford Public Schools Superintendent Kevin McIntyre described Nolan as a van driver, who will not be allowed on school property or MPS vans going forward.
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"The investigation into this matter is ongoing and we are working collaboratively with the Milford Police Department," McIntyre said in a statement.
“We want our children to be safe," he said Thursday. "We want them to feel supported, we want them to feel welcomed when they’re in the schools and anytime an issue like this occurs is kind of a breach of that and we take this very seriously.”
Nolan was arrested without incident at his home after state and local investigators connected him to a Yahoo account that was found to have abusive imagery, police said.
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Images on Nolan's cellphone depicted child who were naked or engaging in sexual acts, and other devices seized from his home were set to be searched.
Nolan is scheduled to return to court on March 29.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
