By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
A part-time employee at Sacramento's Matsuyama Elementary School is in custody after authorities allegedly caught him downloading child pornography onto his personal computer, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
Deputies arrested Darrin Dean Byington (left), 37, at his downtown apartment Thursday, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran. Byington was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of felony charges of possessing obscene matter depicting a person under the age of 14 and selling or distributing obscene matter depicting a minor, according to booking records.
He remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Curran said Byington was caught downloading the child pornography through "investigative techniques" by the multiagency Sacramento County Hi Tech Crimes Task Force. Detectives served a search warrant at Byington's apartment and arrested him based on information found in his computer, Curran said.
It's unclear whether Byington's alleged criminal conduct involved any students at the school, and Curran said parents who suspect their children have been victims of inappropriate contact by Byington should call the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 264-5471.
School district officials said that Byington, who they did not identify by name, has been placed on paid administrative leave and that school parents were notified today.
"The district is taking these allegations extremely seriously and should the charges prove true, the district will take the strongest possible action," Janet Weeks, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento City Unified School District, wrote in the statement.
Byington is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
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