No electronic devices or cameras were found during a State Police search of Belmont Middle High School last month, conducted in the aftermath of middle school teacher Leon Dyer’s arrest, Superintendent Jill Geiser said.
The school was searched on Aug. 11 with dogs trained to detect electronic devices, coordinated by the Massachusetts State Police, with assistance from Belmont Police and School Resource Officer Evan Nichols, according to Belmont Police Lt. Paul Cowing.
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“The letters that I sent out in the summer are all the information that we still currently have, and we have no new information specifically about the state’s investigation,” Geiser said at the Sept. 8 School Committee meeting.
In late July, Dyer was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. He pleaded not guilty and was expected back in court on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Dyer, 45, has lived in Belmont for more than a decade, his lawyer said during his arraignment at Cambridge District Court on July 27. Prosecutors said the charges stem from two separate searches.
As a technology teacher, Dyer’s school devices “contained many files and photographs, most of which were created or submitted by students or provided by outside photographers,” according to district leaders. According to Geiser, the state and district have found “no evidence that these photographs are compromised or that Belmont students have been affected.”
“We remain committed to communicating openly, supporting our students and staff, and working together as a community,” Geiser said in a letter to families sent in August.