Lebanon art teacher indicted for receiving child porn over the Internet while at work

A former art teacher at Lebanon Junior High was indicted Tuesday for receiving child pornography over the Internet while at work.

Evert Wayne Henry, 41, was charged in an indictment returned this week by a federal grand jury in Springfield, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson.

Henry has spent the bulk of his teaching career in the 4,700-student Lebanon district, an hour northeast of Springfield on Interstate 44, and was allegedly at work when he received child pornography over the Internet.

According to the indictment, Henry received the child pornography during a five-year period starting Jan. 1, 2011 and ending Jan. 13 of this year.

The investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Jacy Overstreet, director of communications for the Lebanon district, said the allegations came to light, at least in part, because of images caught on the district's "network filter."

"He was immediately removed from the classroom and suspended," she said.

Overstreet said Henry, a district employee for 16 years, was suspended on Jan. 8 and his employment was terminated on Jan. 26. She said the district has fully cooperated with the law enforcement agencies and have turned over equipment from Henry's classroom. .

According to LinkedIn, Henry — who goes by his middle name Wayne — earned a bachelor's degree in art education at Southwest Baptist University in 1998 and attended Missouri State University during the early 2000s, although a degree is not noted on the profile.

The profile states Henry taught visual arts in the Macon school district during the 1999-2000 year and has worked in Lebanon since the fall of 2000. The profile states that in Lebanon, he taught pottery, drawing and basic art to students ages 12-15.

The news release did not indicate that a trial date had yet been set.