Man accused of sending child pornography via school messaging app

A Tuscaloosa County man was arrested and jailed after allegedly transmitting child pornography through a local elementary school’s messaging app.

According to court documents filed Friday, a teacher at an elementary school in northern Tuscaloosa County contacted police earlier this week after receiving a text message with a disturbing photo attached.

Police say the message was sent through the SchoolStatus mobile app, which teachers in the Tuscaloosa County school system use to communicate with parents.

The photo allegedly depicted obscene material involving children under the age of 17.

Investigators were able to link the message to a cell phone number belonging to a Berry man, 50-year-old Johnny Wayne Hollingsworth.

Police said they interviewed Hollingsworth on Wednesday and he admitted he was in possession of her phone when the photo was sent to the teacher the day before.

Hollingsworth was arrested and charged with one count of disseminating obscene material to persons under 17 years of age.

He was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where he remains Friday while waiting for his bond to be set by a judge.