Miami

Miami Beach Assistant Principal Accused of Child Porn Leaves Jail

An assistant principal for a Miami Beach elementary school has been released on bond following his arrest on federal child porn charges.

Don Clippinger, assistant principal for Fienberg-Fisher K-8 Center, was released from the federal detention center in Miami-Dade Thursday after posting $200,000 bond. He'll be under house arrest and must wear an ankle monitor, and isn't allowed access to the internet.

Clippinger didn't speak with reporters as he left jail.

"Our position simply is that we ask the community to remember the decades of service that Mr. Clippinger has given to the community through Miami-Dade Schools," his attorney, Michael Davis, said Wednesday. "The family is standing behind him, he is a good person who has given much to the students here in the county and to his family, and his family support really reflects who the person he is, which is a caring person who cares about people."

Clippinger was a 23-year employee of the school district but Miami-Dade County Public Schools said they had "initiated procedures" to fire him following his arrest Tuesday morning.

According to a criminal complaint, Clippinger accessed a video conferencing application used by people who exchange child pornography using his computer at his Miami Shores home. His user name in the app was "666prv," according to the complaint.

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