Local middle school, Boys & Girls Club employee accused of child pornography possession

ORLANDO, Fla. — Law enforcement officials said a local middle school teacher was arrested on charges related to child pornography.

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Police said 36-year-old Leesburg resident Mitchell Regan was arrested last week on a warrant that he was in possession of child sex abuse material.

According to the complaint, Homeland Security investigators executed a search warrant at Regan’s home and found an image of child sex abuse material on his cellphone.

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Regan is an employee at Hunters Creek Middle School in Orange County and a local Boys & Girls Club, where he taught chess club and music lessons, police said.

WFTV reached out to the Orange County Public School District. The district provided the statement below.

Mitchell Regan is currently on administrative leave, this is standard process when the district’s Office of Professional Standards investigates allegations in cooperation with law enforcement. This person has not and will not return to campus. Mr. Regan was employed as a school secretary at Hunters Creek Middle School.

—  OCPS Spokesperson

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The Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida sent over the following statement on Regan’s arrest.

“There is nothing more important to Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida than maintaining a safe, secure environment for all our youth, volunteers and employees. The individual has been terminated, will no longer have access to our programs or facilities, and we have notified our partners at Orange County Public Schools and will offer our full cooperation to law enforcement if asked. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to any inappropriate or illegal behavior, and we maintain continuous monitoring of criminal records through the Florida Department of Children and Families in addition to conducting a pre-employment Level 2 background check for all employees and volunteers. We have no reason to believe this arrest is related to or impacts any students in our After School Zone program. Our hearts go out to any victims and their families.”

—  Jamie Merrill, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida

According to a report, Regan admitted to agents that he had sent and received child sex abuse material using an online social media application.

Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

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