In 2008 a camera belonging to third-grade teacher Eric Justin Toth was found to contain explicit pictures of a child who attended Washington D.C.’s exclusive Beauvoir elementary school. Toth taught at the school since 2005, which caters to children of government employees, lawyers and entrepreneurs. When school head Paula Carreiro discovered what was on the camera, she promptly fired Toth and ordered him off of school grounds. Shortly after an investigation started, it was discovered that Toth had also installed a hidden camera in his third-grade classroom bathroom and used it to record students. Ever since his firing Toth has been on the run, and is now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
A well-liked and respected teacher, Toth came to Beauvoir school with recommendations, and a background check showed no known criminal history. However, Beauvoir was unaware of Toth’s past. The FBI has since found that parents were concerned Toth had become too close to their children while he was volunteering at an elementary school in Indiana between 2001 and 2002. And evidence was also found that from 2004 through 2006 Toth may have made child pornography while working at a summer camp in Wisconsin.
Although he was known for his teaching skills at Beauvoir school, some parents now question odd behavior he often displayed. He selected certain students which he heaped attention on, would tutor and babysit students – at times for free – and sometimes spent the night in his classroom closet. Parents also remember he would spend hours tutoring male students, while virtually ignoring the girls. However, his quirky behavior wasn’t questioned due to his intelligence and dedication to students.
Right before Toth was found out in June 2008, he was applying to move to Potomac School, another private school in the D.C. area. When school officials called Beauvoir to obtain a reference, they found out about the investigation and chose not to hire him. Since Toth has been on the run, he’s been spotted in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and was volunteering at a homeless shelter in Phoenix under an assumed name when he was featured on “America’s Most Wanted”. Someone recognized him and called police, but Toth disappeared before officers arrived. According to the FBI, he is most likely living with another identity, and may be working as a tutor or nanny.
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