APTOS >> A 19-year-old Aptos man and former county employee who worked as a part-time recreation director at Mar Vista Elementary is in custody in San Francisco and charged with the possession of child pornography by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Among other allegations, Ryan Spencer is suspected of sexually abusing and taking photos of children under his care while babysitting, according to an April 27 affidavit of FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Hadley.

Spencer is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in San Francisco.

During an April 27 interview with Hadley, Spencer stated he “traded” photos he took while babysitting to others and also downloaded illegal child pornography from the internet.

FBI EVIDENCE

In addition, an FBI witness stated that Spencer had placed thousands of pornographic images and videos on a hard drive for the witness. On April 26, that hard drive was seized from the witness’s residence.

The witness also stated he had received many images of naked prepubescent children from Spencer via the Kik application, a free instant messenger application; and that Spencer told the witness he had engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the children in his care while they slept.

Multiple images of prepubescent boys in bathtubs and locker rooms were found in the Kik application on Spencer’s iPhone, according to the affidavit. The images show multiple boys’ penises exposed.

Spencer had sent the images to the FBI witness and explained he was babysitting the boy at the time of the photos. He also described a “towel trick” he used to take the photos undetected.

Several laptops and encrypted hard drives were also seized by the FBI from Spencer’s bedroom April 27 and placed in evidence. They will be reviewed “as soon as possible,” according to the affidavit.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

During his interview with the FBI, Spencer told Hadley he is studying to be an elementary school teacher at Cabrillo College and works for the county organizing recreational activities at Mar Vista Elementary as part of the ACE program, or after-school childhood enrichment.

Spencer was hired by Santa Cruz County in November 2014 and terminated May 5, according to communication manager Jason Hoppin.

“We recently became aware of allegations involving a former extra-help worker at the Mar Vista ACE program, and we share the concerns of every parent about the nature of these allegations,” said county Parks Director Jeff Gaffney in a statement.

Gaffney said the county “has no reason to believe” these allegations involve any of the children under the care of the ACE program.

“Investigators have not visited county facilities nor interviewed current county employees, and it is our policy that no county worker is alone with any child at any time,” stated Gaffney. “The worker is no longer employed by the county. We care deeply about the safety of our children, and while the information we have is limited, we encourage parents who have concerns to reach out to us.”

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez issued a statement May 8.

Rodriguez stated that Spencer also observed teachers in action at Valencia Elementary as part of his course work as an Cabrillo Early Education student.

County Superintendent of Schools Michael Watkins also issued a May 8 statement confirming that the FBI had notified the Santa Cruz County Office of Education that a former employee had been charged with possession of child pornography.

“The person arrested was a temporary, part-time aide and substitute cabin leader for the SCCOE’s Outdoor Science School. He was hired in October 2016 and has since been terminated,” wrote Watkins.

Watkins also said the FBI had informed the county that all of the evidence against the individual has yet to be reviewed and no victims have been identified due to file encryption. In addition, he said no county office facility has been searched nor have any employees been interviewed as part of the FBI’s investigation.

Spencer has also worked at La Selva Beach Clubhouse and Aptos Village, according to his Linkedin page, which states he has six years of experience working with kids, from toddlers to teenagers, as a cabin leader, babysitter and older brother of three.”

Spencer is a 2016 Aptos High graduate where he also served as the president of the Technology Club.