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Polk Principal Arrested Again On Child Porn Charges

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By MIKE WELLS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2008

Updated: 01/11/2008 12:14 am

For the second time in as many months, a Lakeland elementary school principal has been arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography, officials said.

After a forensics examination of his computer, Polk County sheriff's detectives charged John Stelmack, 60, of 5749 Deer Track Trail in Lakeland, with 12 additional counts of child pornography.

Stelmack, principal of Scott Lake Elementary, was arrested at his home at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Polk County School Board suspended him Dec. 14 for an administrative investigation, during which five images of child pornography created by Stelmack were discovered, sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Wood said.

A briefcase in his school office was found to contain digitally altered photographs of young girls and childlike naked women, investigators said.

He was arrested Dec. 21 and booked into Polk County Jail on five counts of possession of child pornography. He was released the next day after posting $50,000 bail.

Stelmack was to be booked into the Polk County Jail on Thursday, Wood said.

Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.

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