Magistrate Judge Belinda Strong denied bond Wednesday morning for a school employee accused of sexually exploiting a child.
Michael David Byrd Jr. of Greenwood was arrested Monday evening by the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with four counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. He’s also being held on a fugitive warrant on behalf of another agency.
Greenwood County School District 52 released a statement Tuesday saying Byrd, who works at Edgewood Middle School, was on administrative leave in the wake of his arrest.
“Earlier today, Greenwood School District 52 officials confirmed that a teacher assigned to Edgewood Middle School was arrested by the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office to assist another law enforcement agency’s pending charge,” a statement from the district reads. “In accordance with District Board Policy, the teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.”
According to a release from the sheriff’s office, the Houston Metro ICAC Task Force had conversations with an individual who indicated he was a teacher in South Carolina, the release said, and the person violated Texas law during the investigation. Houston Metro ICAC determined the person lived at a residence in Greenwood.
That task force contacted investigators with the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office who are assigned to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on Monday. Coordinating with detectives in Texas, deputies executed a search warrant at Byrd’s residence Monday and he was arrested on outstanding warrants from Texas.
A forensic analysis of Byrd’s devices and interviews with Byrd revealed he transmitted child sexual assault material on social media platforms, the release said. Deputies say they also discovered he sexually battered a minor in Greenwood County.
Authorities say all victims they know of have been identified and parents have been notified.
During the hearing, Byrd expressed remorse, saying he was in a bad spot and didn’t make the right decisions. He told Strong he would seek counseling and not have any use of electronic devices moving forward.
