APPLETON (NBC26) — A high school band director has been charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
James Neujahr, 63, made his initial appearance via video in an Outagamie courtroom on Friday.
Neujahr worked at Fox Valley Lutheran High School prior to his arrest. On Friday, the school announced his termination.
The allegations against Neujahr do not involve any students at the high school, according to police.
"This is a difficult and disheartening situation for many people," Jeffrey Loberger, president at FVHS, said in a statement. "We continue to pray for all who are affected."
According to the criminal complaint obtained by NBC26, Appleton Police were assigned a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) on Oct. 24.
Investigators say two officers made contact with Neujahr on Wednesday. According to the complaint, Neujahr told police he would sometimes search for children as young as 7.
Neujahr allegedly indicated to police that "several years ago it was very easy to find things on the internet for kids, and that it's next to impossible now."
Police obtained a search warrant for multiple devices at Neujahr's home in Appleton. According to the complaint, investigators estimated there were around 2,000 files of child pornography on an external hard drive.
If convicted, each charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Neujahr also faces lifetime supervision for serious sex offenders, if found guilty.
