A sixth-grade teacher in Clearwater faces several counts of child pornography after his laptop computer was retrieved from a lake.

  • Robert James Plotkin arrested Tuesday by Largo Police
  • Investigators say Plotkin threw laptop in lake, retrieved it
  • He is charged with 10 counts of possession of child porn

The Largo Police Department said Tuesday it arrested Robert James Plotkin, 57, and charged him with 10 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of tampering with physical evidence. Police officials said more charges could be forthcoming.

Investigators said Plotkin's 23-year-old roommate, who was once a student of Plotkin's, called to report the crime, a week after originally finding the child pornography while she was online searching for jobs.

The roommate told police initially she was afraid to report Plotkin. However, on March 15 the two had an argument, at which time she told him she was going to call the police.

At that point, Plotkin reportedly threw his computer into a lake behind the apartment complex.

When police arrived at the scene, Plotkin admitted to throwing the computer in the water, then went into the water and retrieved it.

A cyber crime investigator examined the computer and was able to retrieve images from the hard drive. Police said the images were of child porn involving children ages 3 to 17.

"This is 2017. It’s not gonna happen," said Largo Police Lieutenant Joe Coyle, referring to Plotkin's efforts to destroy the evidence. "You’re not going to throw a computer in the water and think that you’re gonna erase all your images."

Officers went to the school Tuesday and interviewed Plotkin, then took him to the Largo Police Department and arrested him.

Though police do not believe the images on Plotkin's computer were of any students at his current school, parents who live nearby the school were still disgusted by the news.

"That is very horrible," said resident Fatima Troupe. "That’s very disgusting for one and it’s not good and he definitely should not be teaching. He should be arrested and everything should happen to him that needs to happen to him as far as the law goes."

Plotkin has been a teacher at Clearwater Intermediate School for the past five years. School district officials said Plotkin is on paid administrative leave and will be placed at a location where no children are present until the investigation is completed.

They also reported that Plotkin passed a background check when he was hired to his position five years ago, and had no prior disciplinary action.