The nonprofit employer of a 27-year-old man suspected of sending explicit material to students enrolled in a Moreno Valley after-school program confirmed Friday that staff are providing full cooperation as the investigation unfolds.
Walter Henry Harrison of Moreno Valley was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center Wednesday on suspicion of sending harmful matter to minors. Harrison was released from the Riverside jail after procuring $30,000 bail Thursday morning.
He has been a paid participant in after-school programs organized by the youth education support nonprofit Think Together at Sunnymead Middle School in the 23900 block of Eucalyptus Avenue for an unspecified period. The Moreno Valley Unified School District verified he was not employed by the district.
“Think Together was made aware of the allegations that had taken place at Sunnymead Middle School and is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation,” Elena Bosch, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit, told City News Service Friday. “Because this is an active investigation, we don’t have additional details to share at this time.”
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Harrison came under investigation at the end of last month after a campus resource officer — a deputy assigned to security — was informed the suspect had allegedly engaged in “inappropriate contact with students.”
Sgt. Jim Peters said the case was turned over to the Special Victims Unit, whose investigators determined Harrison allegedly communicated with “at least four students who … attend the after-school program.”
Sufficient evidence was gathered to obtain and serve a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in the 14600 block of Cessna Lane on Oct. 30, according to Peters.
“Evidence was collected from the home. However, Harrison was not at the residence,” the sergeant said.
He said that deputies located him Wednesday in the area of Magnolia Avenue and Hughes Alley in Riverside, where he was taken into custody without incident.