VALDOSTA — A retired Lowndes County teacher pleaded guilty Thursday to a child pornography charge after hidden cameras were found inside a rental property belonging to him, authorities said.
David Swanson, 61, pleaded guilty in federal court to one charge of possessing child pornography, a U.S. Department of Justice statement said. He faces up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime on supervised release and a $250,000 fine, and must register as a sex offender upon release from prison. Swanson is not eligible for parole.
A Ray City woman told police in March 2023 she found a hidden camera in a home she rented from Swanson. Police found two more cameras hidden in the bathroom’s ceiling; data cards from the cameras showed children up to 12 years old, the justice department said. All of the images were recorded between Jan. 21, 2023, and Feb. 28, 2023.
Authorities checked other rental homes Swanson owned in Lowndes and Berrien counties but did not find more cameras. A search of his Valdosta home turned up 750 images of child sexual abuse, according to the statement.
Swanson recently retired as a teacher in the Lowndes County School System.