Substitute teacher arrested in child porn

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A Carson City substitute teacher was arrested Wednesday afternoon for allegedly asking an 8-year-old girl to "flash" an Internet camera as the woman chatted with someone online.

Jill Fletcher, 35, is charged with one felony count of child pornography. She was being held in the Carson City Jail on $50,000 bail.

According to the Sheriff's Department, authorities were alerted after Fletcher filed a complaint of having received child pornography.

In her complaint she stated she was using Yahoo! to look at "teacher" Web sites when someone sent her a message asking for nude photographs of a child.

She said the person eventually e-mailed her a picture of an 8-year-old girl she knows, said Chief Deputy Scott Burau.

"She was in a quandary as to how in the world could anyone have obtained a photograph of this child," Burau said.

"During an interview at Fletcher's residence, the graphic material was brought up on her computer screen. It was easily discernible that the backdrop in the photograph originated in the room the computer was in."

The photos, which Burau described as sexually explicit, are of the 8-year-old nude and semi-nude.

According to police reports, investigators spoke with the child who said Fletcher asked her to "flash" the Internet camera on top of her computer on Tuesday.

The child said she lifted her shirt then later pulled down her pants at Fletcher's request while Fletcher chatted online with someone.

Fletcher allegedly told detectives she initially refused requests from the unknown person for the child to expose herself, but then asked the child to do it.

Burau said the FBI has been contacted to help determine the identity of the recipient and investigators are working on getting subpoenas to investigate Yahoo! files.

He doesn't believe there is a connection between Fletcher and an FBI investigation into child pornography dubbed "Candyman."

The investigation uncovered a Yahoo! Egroup involved in posting, exchanging and transmitting child pornography.

Thus far 86 people have been charged in more than 26 states. Twenty-seven of the individuals admitted to molestation of more than 36 children.

One of those arrested was a preschool teacher's aide from Las Vegas.

"We have a way to go before we really know how far out this branches -- if in fact it does," Burau said.

Fletcher received her license to substitute teach in Nevada in January 2001. according to Richard Stokes, associate superintendent in charge of human resources for the Carson City School District .

Stokes said Fletcher has taught a total of five days for the district. In February she filled in for a Carson High School class.

"Of course we took her name of our substitute teaching list. She will not be used again," Stokes said.

Burau said Fletcher has no known criminal history. She has lived in Carson City for 12 years.

Last year, Fletcher's husband, Steven Michael Fletcher, 35, pleaded guilty in the sexual assault of a child under 14. He was given a life sentence with possible parole after 10 years.

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