Fmr. Substitute Teacher Charged In Child Porn Investigation

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DAVIE (CBSMiami) -- A teacher at a Broward County charter school has been charged with having a host of graphic child porn videos on his home computer.

Forty year-old Omar Costa, a special ed instructor, who worked essentially full-time as a substitute at Somerset Academy Village K-8 Center in Wilton Manors, was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Davie.

Davie police say a cyber porn task force, surfing the web, came across the IP address of the teacher's home computer containing lots of references to child pornography.

When investigators served a warrant on his home this week, they say they found a library of pornographic videos running from 6 to 17 minutes in length, featuring children ages 5 to 13 years old engaging in graphic sex acts.

Somerset Academy issued a statement saying in part, "the safety and well-being of our students is up utmost importance to us...this individual has been placed on leave, and will not be allowed on school grounds."

Some parents told CBS4's Gary Nelson they were angry that the teacher was arrested Thursday morning but notices did not go home with students until after school Friday afternoon.

"Oh my God, why didn't they tell us," asked an incredulous Lakiela Harris. "I'm a mother here, I have my children here. They should have told us."

A spokesperson for Somerset could not explain the delay in informing parents.

According to a nine page arrest affidavit, the teacher told investigators he became "bored" not being at work over the summer and downloaded the child pornography.

As of Friday afternoon, Costa was still being held in the Broward County Jail. Because he was arrested in connection with the work of a federal child porn task force, his case may be moved over to federal court. Judges there are often reluctant to grant bail in cases involving child pornography.