How Could You? Hall of Shame-Daniel Prentice Donaldson

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Montevallo, Alabama, therapeutic foster care provider and kindergarten teacher Daniel Prentice Donaldson, 26,was “jailed on child pornography charges.”

He “received the foster care certification in June through the United Methodist Children’s Home, which acts as a contractor to provide care for the state, said Barry Spear, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

Spear cited confidentiality laws in declining comment on whether Donaldson was caring for a 9-year-old boy who authorities described as being with the man at the time of his arrest at his home on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the United Methodist Children’s Home didn’t immediately return an email message seeking comment on Donaldson. The church-affiliated organization recruits and trains foster parents under its license, Spear said.

Donaldson, who taught at Calera Elementary School, was jailed with bail set at $600,000 on 40 counts of possession of child pornography. Court records don’t show whether he has a defense lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Maj. Ken Burchfield, a spokesman with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, said an investigation began with a tip. He said there was no evidence Calera students were victims in the child pornography cases.

Donaldson has worked for Shelby County schools since 2015, when he began the first of two years as an aide under the guidance of a classroom teacher. He was beginning his second school year as a kindergarten teacher at the time of his arrest.

Donaldson passed a criminal background check and has had no prior incidents of misconduct, officials said.

“These charges are very serious in that they indicated alarming behavior by this teacher,” said Shelby County Superintendent Randy Fuller.”

Teacher held on child porn charges also a foster parent

[Times Daily 8/17/18 by AP]

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