SAN BENITO — Phillip Emmanuel Lopez’s lawyer says he is not a flight risk or a threat to the community.
Federal agents arrested Lopez at his residence Monday morning for possession of child pornography.
Lopez is a special education teacher at Ed Downs Elementary School in San Benito.
School district officials said Lopez was placed on immediate suspension and the district will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete.
Lopez went in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III on Wednesday facing charges of downloading and possession of child pornography.
His bond was set at $100,000 with a $7,500 deposit.
He remained in U.S. Marshal’s custody after the hearing.
According to court documents, Lopez has five witnesses, “the parents, two aunts and a sister,” who will offer testimony to rebut the charges.
