Teacher jailed on child porn charges

An elementary school teacher was arrested Thursday after federal authorities discovered hundreds of images of child pornography and pictures of young children on his computer.

Michael Gogerty, who made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday, faces charges of receiving child pornography and possession of child pornography. U.S. Magistrate Robert Johnston said Gogerty poses a danger to the community and ordered him to remain in custody.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Koppe said Gogerty commutes to Pahrump where he is a fifth-grade teacher. Prior to that job, the 24-year Las Vegas resident taught at a Las Vegas elementary school and worked in three different day-care facilities.

Officials did not say which school he taught at.

"This defendant has essentially surrounded himself with children, young children," Koppe told the judge. "That apparently is his preference."

Koppe said authorities confiscated more than 20 compact discs, 251 videos and seven floppy discs from Gogerty's home. The contents included images of prepubescent girls and pictures of girls engaged in bestiality.

After Gogerty's arrest Thursday, he told federal agents that he has also posed as a 13-year-old boy to chat with young girls on the computer, Koppe said. According to Koppe, Gogerty also acknowledged that he has been accused of inappropriate behavior at school.

"The defendant is a danger to the community, specifically to minors in the community," Koppe said.