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Update: More details on child-porn suspects
Teacher arrested at school; students not present
Dirk Burchard
Dirk Allen Burchard

A Department of Defense educator and U.S. Army captain have been snared as part of a statewide child-pornography investigation, authorities said.

Liberty County Sheriff Steve Sikes said Dirk Allen Burchard, 34, a third-grade teacher at Murray Elementary on Fort Stewart, was arrested Thursday and charged with several counts of child pornography.

Sikes said the investigation into Burchard began when members of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip from the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office in Elk River, Minnesota.

That same task force announced the arrest of 18 other individuals — including Army Capt. Samuel Oh, 30, who is with the 3rd Infantry Division and is stationed at Fort Stewart — in a news release issued Thursday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Sikes said his deputies, along with members of the state task force and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command, arrested Burchard.

Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson confirmed the arrest of the teacher along with confirming that Oh is stationed at the post and is with the 3rd ID.

Task Force Officer Chuck Woodall, who was present when Burchard was arrested, said the teacher was taken into custody without incident at Murray Elementary.

Woodall said a warrant was taken out Wednesday afternoon to examine Burchard’s computer. When officers arrived at his home in the 900 block of Rachel Lane, there was no response to the officers’ insistent knocks. Woodall spent the evening parked outside Burchard’s residence in hopes he would return home.  

Shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday, Woodall saw a light come on in the residence and repeatedly knocked until Burchard opened the door. Burchard told the officers he was in the shower and had not heard them. Armed with the warrant, Woodall seized Burchard’s computer to determine what type of material was on it.  

Woodall explained that he had to allow Burchard to report to his job at school because he had no legal reason to detain him until he examined the computer.

After Woodall spent more than eight hours examining the computer and tying Burchard both to the computer and the material on it, which was child pornography, Burchard was placed under arrest and charged with violating the Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act, possession and distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and possession of tools for commission of a crime.

The arrest took place after children had been dismissed for the day, Woodall said.

Burchard has more than five years’ experience as a teacher in the Liberty County School System and the Department of Defense Education Activity, Woodall said.

Lillian Gray, who has lived next door to Burchard for more than a year, said she was not surprised to learn that he was the DOD teacher who had been arrested.

“When I heard a Fort Stewart teacher was arrested, I had a feeling immediately it was my neighbor,” Gray said. “I knew he was a teacher on the post. He’s been living here for over a year and not a social person.”

Gray said after several attempts to be friendly with Burchard, she and her husband, Andy, gave up.

“We would wave hello to him, and he never acknowledged us, so we finally gave up,” she said.

Gray added that she never saw any children visit his home.

In a letter sent Thursday to parents and employees of Fort Stewart schools, Dr. Samantha Ingram, superintendent of the South Carolina/Fort Stewart Department of Defense Dependents Schools Cuba District, said in part, “Currently, we are not aware of any misconduct involving Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) students. However, starting Friday, October 16, 2015, parents will be contacted personally if they are needed for further assistance in this case.”

The letter adds that installation law enforcement and DOD Education Activity school officials cooperated with the task force.

“We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our children and are working closely with the authorities in the ongoing investigation,” Ingram wrote. “We want to assure the community that our children are safe, and we will provide further updates as timely as possible without compromising the investigation.”

Fort Stewart released a statement Friday seeking to “reassure parents, students and neighboring communities of the installation’s safety following the arrest.”

“Our children’s safety is paramount,” said Fort Stewart senior commander Brig. Gen. Jim Blackburn. “We are working closely with our law-enforcement and education partners in the investigation and cooperating fully. These alleged actions in no way reflect our Army’s values.”

Teachers, parents and students have been provided counseling upon their request, Fort Stewart garrison commander Col. Townley Hedrick added.

“Because of the disturbing nature of the alleged crimes and who committed them, we owe our school employees, students and parents that support,” he said.

Army Capt. Samuel Oh was arrested Aug. 11 at his home near Bradwell Institute and charged with three counts of computer child exploitation and one count of possession of tools for commission of a crime. Oh has been indicted by a federal grand jury and is being held in the Liberty County jail while awaiting trial.  

Woodall said Oh was arrested in August because of his proximity to Bradwell.

Earlier story:

A third-grade teacher at Murray Elementary on Fort Stewart was arrested Thursday on allegations of child pornography by the Southeast Georgia Child Exploitation Task Force, Fort Stewart confirmed Friday morning.

Earlier the same day, the GBI announced that Capt. Samuel Oh, 30, who is with the 3rd Infantry Division and stationed at Fort Stewart, had been arrested as part of a statewide investigation into online child-pornography activity. That same investigation swept up the teacher, identified as Dirk Allen Burchard, 34, of Hinesville. 

In a letter sent Thursday to parents and employees of Fort Stewart schools, Dr. Samantha Ingram, superintendent of the South Carolina/Fort Stewart Department of Defense Dependents Schools Cuba District, said in part, “Currently, we are not aware of any misconduct involving Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) students. However, starting Friday, October 16, 2015, parents will be contacted personally if they are needed for further assistance in this case.”

Liberrty County Sheriff Steve Sikes released a statement Friday saying that the case involving Burchard was initiated after receiving information from the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office in Elk River, Minnesota, concerning inappropriate contact via the Internet with a child.

Sikes said the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in cooperation with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command executed an arrest warrant Thursday for Bruchard charging him with possession of child pornography.

That same task force announced the arrest of 18 other individuals, including Oh, in a Thursday news release by the GBI.

Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson confirmed the arrest of the teacher along with confirming that Oh is stationed at the post and is with the 3rd ID.

Jail records indicate that Oh was arrested in August on three counts of computer child exploitation and one count of possession of tools for commission of a crime. Jail records also show that Burchard was charged with violating the Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act, possession and distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and possession of tools for commission of a crime.Larson released the following statement:

A Department of Defense Education Activity teacher was arrested for four counts of child pornography by the Southeast Georgia Child Exploitation Task Force in cooperation with installation law enforcement and DODEA school officials here Thursday.

Third Infantry Division and Fort Stewart leadership want to reassure parents, students, and neighboring communities of the installation’s safety following the arrest.

“Our children’s safety is paramount,” said Fort Stewart senior commander Brig. Gen. Jim Blackburn. “We are working closely with our law enforcement and education partners in the investigation and cooperating fully. These alleged actions in no way reflect our Army’s values.”

Teachers, parents, and students have been provided counseling upon their request, said Fort Stewart garrison commander Col. Townley Hedrick.

“Because of the disturbing nature of the alleged crimes and who committed them, we owe our school employees, students, and parents that support,” he said.

A letter, signed by Dr. Samantha Ingram, superintendent of the South Carolina/Fort Stewart Department of Defense Dependents Schools Cuba District, was sent to parenta and employees of Fort Stewart schools Thursday. The letter adds that installation law enforcement and Department of Defense Education Activity school officials cooperated with the task force. 

“We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our children and are working closely with the authorities in the ongoing investigation,” Ingram wrote. “We want to assure the community that our children are safe, and we will provide further updates as timely as possible without compromising the investigation.”

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