Maryland teacher arrested on child pornography charges after College Park search

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – A 70-year-old Prince George’s County teacher has been arrested on multiple child pornography charges following an investigation that led Maryland State Police to his College Park home.

Donald Kirk Marchand 3rd, of College Park, was arrested shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday and charged with multiple counts of distribution and possession of child pornography, according to Maryland State Police. Marchand was taken to the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections, where he was being held pending a bail review.

The investigation began in September through the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which focuses on suspected online crimes involving the exploitation of children.

As the investigation progressed, members of the Maryland State Police Child Exploitation Unit, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Prince George’s County Police Department, served a search warrant at Marchand’s residence Tuesday morning.

Police said investigators seized multiple items considered to be of evidentiary value during the search.

Investigators also learned that Marchand is currently employed as a teacher at Elizabeth Seton High School, a private, all-girls Catholic high school in Bladensburg.  State police said he had previously worked at other educational institutions.

According to Fox 5 News in Washington, DC, school officials said that Marchand was initially placed on administrative leave – but his employment was later terminated. 

“Though Mr. Marchand was vetted through all Maryland state educational background checks prior to the start of his employment, the charges revealed today based on alleged conduct beginning in September 2026 require a removal from our school,” school president Lisa Grillo said in a statement. 

Grillo also emphasized that there was no connection between the charges and students and staff at the school.

During a search of Marchand’s home, officials found and seized multiple pieces of evidence, including discs containing files with titles referencing school girls. Investigators said the discs contained disturbing images of minors.

Police said Marchand had child sex abuse material that dated back more than a decade. When police confronted him about the material, he told them he had downloaded it years ago but never deleted it. 

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the Maryland State Police Child Exploitation Unit at 1-800-637-5437.

The Maryland State Police Child Exploitation Unit coordinates Maryland’s ICAC Task Force, a statewide law-enforcement effort involving police agencies across Maryland. The task force investigates suspected child exploitation conducted through the internet and other related offenses.

Marchand has been accused of criminal offenses and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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(Source: Maryland State Police, Fox 5, DC News Now)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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