Former La Porte PE teacher Kody Caleb Smith charged with possession of child pornography

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) -- A former La Porte ISD employee has been charged with three counts of possession of child pornography, and he's wanted by police.

A cyber tip launched an investigation into 35-year-old Kody Caleb Smith, according to court documents. At the time, Smith was employed by La Porte ISD as a PE teacher.

The investigation led authorities to conduct a search of Smith's home, where they reportedly found 77 files containing child pornography on his phones and laptop computers. They say he confessed to downloading hundreds of items sexual content involving children for nearly three years.

The files contained explicit content involving sexual assault of very young children. Investigators confirm the pornographic material was downloaded from dark sites on the internet, and police say they have no reason to believe there are any child victims in La Porte related to this investigation.

Smith resigned from the La Porte school district following the search warrant. Charges were filed on March 5, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.