CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire man who drove a school bus for children with disabilities has been charged along with his wife with taking sexually explicit photos of a young girl, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.
Paul and Krystal Baird, of Keene, were arrested Wednesday and charged with manufacturing child pornography. Until he was fired Wednesday, Paul Baird had worked for a private transportation company under contract with the Conval Regional School District. But school officials said it does not appear that the investigation involves their students, staff or any school-related activity.
The arrests came less than two weeks after investigators say Paul Baird shared three images on a dark website dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Jane Young said at a news conference. She urged anyone with information about the couple to contact authorities.
“This case exemplifies police work here in New Hampshire: federal and state working seamlessly together for one purpose, to protect our most vulnerable citizens, in this case, innocent children,” she said. “Doing these cases, we understand that they bring pain, uncertainty and confusion for the communities impacted by this type of criminal conduct.”
In a court affidavit, a investigator with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said an undercover agent who saw the images posted online used metadata to trace them to Baird. Krystal Baird told investigators all three photos were taken at their home in December. She said her husband took one photo, and she took the other two at his request because she didn’t want to anger him, according to the complaint.
Both made initial appearances in court Wednesday, with detention hearings scheduled for Friday. Neither of their attorneys immediately responded to requests for comment.
Authorities declined to say at the news conference whether they believe Baird has produced other images and whether other children are involved. But the complaint alleges that he has uploaded about 28 files to the website in question.
When agents asked him why he used an anonymous browser on his phone, he said, “You already know, so just freaking tell me," according to the complaint.
Conval Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo-Saunders said school officials learned of the arrest Wednesday. She thanked the bus company, Student Transportation of America, for its swift response.
A spokeswoman for the bus company said Baird began his job on Sept. 15, and an extensive background check showed no prior history or reason for concern.
“We will continue to prioritize the safety of the students we transport,” the company said. “STA is fully cooperating with authorities and the district on the ongoing investigation.”
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Associated Press Writer Nick Perry contributed to this report.
