March 10, 2005


Former Los Alamitos Elementary School technology
coordinator arrested for possession of child pornography

By Julie Davis Berry
Executive Editor

Former school teacher David Joseph Welsh turned himself in Tuesday at the Santa Clara County Jail after Los Altos police obtained an arrest warrant against Welsh on child pornography charges.

Welsh, a 57-year-old San Jose resident has been teaching at various schools in the Bay area over the past ten years, including a brief two-month stint in 2003 at Los Alamitos Elementary School in Almaden.

The Los Altos Police Department began an investigation involving Welsh in April of 2004 in which an undercover officer, posing as a 12-year-old female had an Internet chat with Welsh. The chat room conversation involved sexually explicit exchanges in which Welsh bragged of a prior sexual encounter with a 12 year-old female. A search warrant was executed on Welsh’s residence and child pornography was located on Welsh’s computer during forensic examination by the Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory.

The investigation was turned over to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, Sexual Assault Unit and a complaint was issued charging Welsh with a misdemeanor violation of Possession of Child Pornography.

Welsh’s last teaching assignment was as an eighth grade teacher at the North Star Academy in Redwood City. He was relieved of that position in September 2004 after Los Altos police alerted the school district that Welsh was under investigation.

The investigation continues, attempting to locate and identify any possible victims related to child pornography located in Welsh’s computer including photographic evidence and prior chat room contacts.

Los Alamitos Principal Dr. Lisa Gonzales sent a letter home with students on Wednesday explaining the situation in regards to Los Alamitos. In the letter Welsh’s employment at the school was described as lasting from March to May 2003 and his position was as a Tech Coordinator in the computer lab. In this capacity, he worked with current third, fourth and fifth graders under the supervision of their classroom teachers.

According to San Jose Unified School District spokesperson Karen Fuqua, Welsh “was never alone with students,” and he completed his assignment and there were no complaints about his employment at the school. She said that Welsh went through all of the screening processes such as finger printing and background checks.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact Officer Anderson at the Los Altos Police Department at (650) 947-2770.