Mass. school employee under investigation for disturbing TikTok video found dead
Police say a former Massachusetts school employee under investigation after a TikTok video surfaced showing him allegedly having a sexual conversation online with someone posing as a 15-year-old girl has been found dead.
Kingston police, who had been investigating the former Silver Lake Regional School District employee, issued a press release saying the alleged suspect was found dead in Rhode Island on Tuesday morning.
The TikTok video in question was brought to the attention of authorities last week. The contents of the video were not disclosed, and police did not identify the employee or say where they worked. They said there was no evidence that any students in the Silver Lake Regional School District had received any inappropriate communication from the former employee.
A parent who spoke with NBC10 Boston said the teacher allegedly involved was a well-liked substitute. She didn't want to be identified or show her face on camera, but said she was shocked to learn the news.
"All the kids raved about him, they say that he's the nicest guy, so was it for the TikTok likes? I don't know, but also, innocent until proven guilty," she said. "But I firmly believe that he's a predator."
Kingston police said they learned the suspect lived in Plympton and began working with Plympton police, school district officials, TikTok emloyees and members of the public to gather additional evidence.
They gathered additional information, including an over 1-hour uncut version of the video, and decided to pursue arrest and search warrants on Tuesday. Before they were able to get those warrants authorized, Plympton police were notified by Rhode Island State Police on Tuesday morning that the alleged suspect had been found dead. His death remains under investigation, but foul play is not suspected.
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Kingston police said the suspect's death closes a portion of the investigation, but the investigation will continue to ensure that there were no other victims.
"Regardless of your thoughts on the alleged offender, the loss of human life is always impactful. Out ofcompassion for the family and those who knew the deceased, we ask the public to please be respectful in any comments on this matter," Kingston Detective Lt. Michael Skowyra said in a statement.
