Janitor’s child porn arrest sparks search of multiple Michigan schools, officials say

A Michigan school district is searching several schools for electronic recording devices “out of an abundance of caution” after a school janitor was arrested on child pornography charges, officials say.

Forest Hills Public Schools officials were informed by the FBI on March 20 that Bradley Alyn Arkesteyn, a cleaner in the district, was arrested on charges of distribution and possession of child pornography, according to a March 25 letter sent to district families.

An undercover agent with the Child Exploitation Task Force in Washington, D.C., was in contact with Arkesteyn via Kik, an instant messaging app, in the week leading up to his March 19 arrest, according to a criminal complaint.

During their chat, Arkesteyn shared that he was a school custodian, according to the complaint filed in US District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Arkesteyn was hired by Forest Hills Public Schools on Feb 6, 2023.

“They absolutely love me!” Arkesteyn told the agent, referring to the second-grade students at the elementary school where he primarily worked, records show.

“I’m getting close to receiving hugs,” he said on Kik. “I’ve had a few.”

Arkesteyn told authorities he had “a few favorite 2nd grade girls at the schools” he said “were ‘obsessed’ with him”, records show.

The cleaner told police that “he would not seek out a child to touch, but if a child came on to him, he would not stop her,” according to court records.

The Rockford man “admitted to purchasing child pornography on Telegram from several different people and receiving thousands of child pornography videos through Mega links,” court records show.

Arkesteyn told police he didn’t feel any guilt or remorse after looking at child pornography, according to the complaint.

McClatchy News reached out to Arkesteyn’s attorney on March 27 for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

The school district contracted with a security firm on March 21 to conduct sweeps of the five buildings Arkesteyn worked in, looking for electronic recording devices, officials said.

Law enforcement placed the district at “low risk of having electronic recording devices on site,” officials said.

“To date, the FBI has not informed the district that any students were identified as part of the criminal investigation,” district officials said.

Arkesteyn had no previous criminal history, active warrants, or any “unprofessional conduct” reports, according to police and school officials.

As of March 25, Collins Elementary School had been thoroughly searched, and no devices were found. The search of the other buildings was expected to conclude this week, school officials said. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service