Former St. Paul teacher is indicted for producing child porn

By ANTHONY LONETREE

A former St. Paul Central High School special education teacher has been indicted on federal charges of producing, distributing and possessing child pornography.

Gregg A. Larsen, 49, of south Minneapolis, who began work with the district in March 2003 and resigned May 4, is accused of coercing two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct -- and of producing at least 14 images from those 2006 incidents.

But it is likely that additional images were made, said the U.S. attorney's office, which also alleges Larsen had on his home computer more than 100,000 images of children engaged in sexual conduct.

The indictment was unsealed after Larsen made his first court appearance Thursday in St. Paul.

According to the state Department of Human Services, Larsen also is licensed to provide child foster care out of his home in the 3500 block of 23rd Avenue S. The license is active, but under investigation, state records show.

Last July, federal authorities searched the home as part of the child porn investigation, and at the start of the 2009-10 school year, Larsen was on leave from the district, St. Paul schools spokesman Howie Padilla said Thursday.

The indictment does not state whether the victims may have been students. Padilla said that the district was cooperating with law enforcement authorities, and would defer to them the release of any investigative details.

He added the district had no record of any disciplinary action against Larsen.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, the first incident involving the alleged production of child pornography occurred in April 2006, and resulted in at least four images being produced.

In June and July 2006, the charges state, Larsen coerced a second minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and documented at least 10 images then.

In May 2009, he also allegedly distributed "several extremely graphic images" of very young children, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Larsen is to make his next court appearance Monday.