N.J. caseworker with ‘direct access to children’ produced child pornography, feds say – NJ.com
A caseworker with New Jersey’s child welfare agency – who was previously fired from a teaching job over allegations about his conduct with students – was charged Friday with producing images of child sexual abuse, according to court documents and officials.
Kayan Frazier faces federal charges of producing visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct, receipt of child pornography and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. The 27-year-old was already in custody at the Atlantic County jail since his April arrest on state child pornography offenses.
The federal charges came after an analysis of electronic devices seized during a search of his Somers Point apartment, according to court documents. Investigators discovered explicit images on mobile devices involving a boy Frazier knew.
In court documents, an FBI agent detailed how investigators followed a digital trail leading them to a state division of Child Protection and Permanency staffer who had “direct access to children” in his job as a caseworker.
The investigation began with a tip about child pornography posted on micro-blogging site Tumblr, which authorities traced to Frazier’s account with an internet provider, according to the complaint.
Frazier was fired from a substitute teaching job at an unnamed elementary school in Atlantic City following a March 2017 investigation by a state child protection unit, FBI Special Agent Daniel Garrabrant said in the complaint.
That case included allegations that Frazier allowed a “young minor male student” to visit his home and sleep in his bed, according to the agent’s account. He was also accused of texting with a 9-year-old student after school hours, a violation of school policy.
There were no allegations of sexual abuse against Frazier at the time, the agent said. In interviews with child protection investigators, Frazier denied any inappropriate behavior. Frazier reportedly admitted to allowing the boy to sleep in his bed, but claimed he was mentoring the child and also acknowledged texting the other minor.
“Based upon the [Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit’s] investigation, Frazier was fired from the school,” the FBI agent stated in the complaint.
Officials could not comment specifically on why Frazier’s was hired by a division of the Department of Children and Families, the same agency that investigated earlier allegations involving the students. Records show he started at DCF in September 2017 after being fired from his teaching job.
“Due to confidentiality laws, DCF cannot disclose its investigatory activities, but we can confirm that the Department performs background and [Child Abuse Record Information] checks on all prospective employees, and will not offer employment to any candidate that has ever been substantiated for abuse and neglect,” DCF spokesman Jason Butkowski said in an email.
Frazier was suspended without pay from his state job on April 22 following a civil service hearing, according to the spokesman. He was first suspended with pay on April 15.
State records show Frazier was paid a $53,148 salary with the civil service title of family service specialist 2. Attorney information for Frazier was not immediately listed.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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