Virginia Middle School Teacher Arrested on Child Porn Charges

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Police arrested an eighth grade science teacher at a Fairfax County middle school on two felony charges related to possession of child pornography.

A search warrant served at 28-year-old Kristine Knizner’s Fairfax County apartment Wednesday night led to her arrest. Her LinkedIn account describes her as a science teacher at Irving Middle School in Springfield, Virginia. She previously taught at Key Middle School in Franconia, police said.

“The Fairfax County Police Department got a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” Fairfax County police Maj. Ed O’Carroll said. “Once we received that tip, detectives went to work, and it led us to that Springfield address.”

The information directed detectives to a Snapchat account associated with an IP address in Fairfax County that was in possession of what police describe as “child sex abuse material.”

Detectives served a search warrant on Knizner’s apartment and recovered electronic devices.

“There’s no indication that there are any victims in Fairfax County Public Schools,” O’Carroll said.

Irving Middle School sent an email to parents and guardians informing them of the arrest.

“The teacher is currently on leave,” the email reads. “While investigators have not identified any offenses related to FCPS students, FCPS is cooperating with police as they investigate this serious matter.”

“It’s critical to stay involved in your child’s social media,” O’Carroll said. “There’s a lot of platforms out there – too many to describe. Parents need to stay engaged and be watchful for suspicious activity.”

“Since February, detectives have received 124 cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, like the one that led to this arrest,” O’Carroll said in a news release. “There is nothing more important than the safety of our children.” 

Knizner was released on a $2,000 bond until her court appearance scheduled for July.

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