On November 13, 2023, the Fairfield Police Department was notified by the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit of a tip they received involving the potential possession of child pornography within the Town of Fairfield.
The Fairfield Police Department Investigative Division conducted an exhaustive investigation including numerous search and seizure warrants which led them to develop Peter Wheeler, Jr. (DOB 01/30/2000) of Fairfield, CT as a potential suspect.
The investigation also revealed that Wheeler was an employee of the Fairfield Public School system. The Fairfield Public School administration was notified once this information was confirmed earlier this month. Wheeler was removed from having any further interactions with students and staff immediately, and not permitted into any buildings.
On January 11, 2024, a Search and Seizure Warrant was executed at Wheeler’s Fairfield, CT home and several digital devices were seized and subsequently examined following the execution of additional Search and Seizure warrants. The examination of these devices revealed evidence supporting a charge of possession of child pornography.
Wheeler has been cooperative throughout the entire investigation.
On January 23, 2024, Peter Wheeler, Jr. (DOB 01/30/2000) of Fairfield, CT was arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography 1st Degree in violation of C.G.S. 53a-196d. He was issued a court appearance date of February 6, 2024 at Bridgeport Superior Court and is currently being held on a $250,000 court set bond.
“The safety and well-being of our residents, especially our children, is our top priority. The Fairfield Police Department is committed to working tirelessly to investigate and address any actions that threaten the safety of our community, particularly those involving individuals in positions of trust. We appreciate the collaboration with the Fairfield Public Schools and our law enforcement partners in this matter and are committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and transparency.” – Chief Robert Kalamaras
At this time, no additional information is available for release. Should there be any updates, the Fairfield Police Department, in cooperation with Fairfield Public Schools will release any updated information. We appreciate your patience during this investigation.
UPDATE 1/24/2024:
The Fairfield Police Department understands the community’s concerns regarding this arrest and how this news can be upsetting and difficult to process. At this time, our investigation has revealed no indication of any danger or safety concerns regarding any students. Should the investigation reveal any additional information, those parents and the school district will be notified directly by our Department.
As a point of clarification, our Department received a tip in November which contained no identifying information. The investigative process which leads to a subject’s identity in these cyber investigations is exhaustive and takes time, however, our investigators worked tirelessly to ensure these steps were completed as quickly as possible. This process includes a variety of preservation requests to social platforms, numerous search and seizure warrants to obtain internet protocol information from providers, and search and seizure warrants to identify subscriber information before we are able to obtain a physical address of origin prior to being able to identify a suspect. Once the suspect in this case was identified, and we learned of his employment with Fairfield Public Schools, the school administration was notified.
Notification to the community was made as quickly as possible following the arrest to ensure the transparency we are all committed to providing in these manners.
Any additional information that can be made available to the public, will be disseminated if/when available.
Additionally, the Police Department is unable to comment on employment details and would direct those inquires to the Human Resources Department within the Fairfield Public Schools.
Peter Wheeler, Jr. (DOB 01/30/2000)
Pending charges represent allegations only. Arrest information does not indicate convictions. All arrested/accused persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Information may not be inclusive of recent arrests or events. Information should be used at your discretion as updates may be pending. Names and addresses may not be accurate at the time of posting.
UPDATE 2/20/24: Additional Charges Filed Following Child Pornography Investigation