JENISON, Mich. — A Wayland Union School employee is on administrative leave after investigators found evidence of child porn on his computer and in his home.
State Police say 35-year-old Michael John Batt of Jenison is facing charges after the Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit discovered evidence of involvement in online child porn.
In apost on its website, the school district immediately placed Batt on administrative leave and he is banned from school property while the district reviews the matter. The district does not believe the allegations happened on school property.
MSP arrested Batt after investigating his online activity and gathering evidence in a residence search.
Batt was arrested for multiple counts of child sexually abusive material and for using a computer to commit a crime.
MSP says he was arraigned on Thursday in the 58th District Court in Ottawa County.
Batt was formally charged with two counts of producing child sexually abusive material, four counts of aggravated distribution child sexually abusive material, one count of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.
The school district indicates there is no evidence at this point that the activity involved other staff or students.
Wayland Union School District Superintendent Tim Reeves issued a prepared statement.
“While the issues do not involve the district, we have high expectations for the conduct of our employees and expect employees to engage in professional behaviors that reflect the mission and values of our community,” Reeves said. “When behaviors are not aligned with district expectations, we will take all appropriate action, which may include disciplinary action or termination.”
Batt also works part time at Overwatch Data Services. They had this to say:
"Overwatch Data Services was informed late Wednesday afternoon that one of our part time employees, Michael Batt, was arrested with criminal allegations of inappropriate conduct. Mr. Batt was immediately placed on leave during the investigation process and subsequently terminated. There is no indication that any misconduct took place involving any staff or customers. Overwatch Data Services has extremely high expectations for our employees and we take matters like this very seriously. As this case is currently pending for criminal proceedings, we cannot make any further comments at this time."
The MSP Computer Crimes Unit encourages parents to speak to their children about the safe use of the Internet, saying that there are many resources available to parents to help them keep their children safe online.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website.
MSP also says that the ICAC Task Force also offers resources here.
Any information regarding possible child sexual exploitation can be reported to the CyberTipLine here.
