A substitute teacher who worked for nearly three decades in Palm Beach County was arrested on child pornography charges, according to authorities.
A substitute teacher who worked for nearly three decades in Palm Beach County was arrested on child pornography charges, according to authorities.
The suspect, 69-year-old Mark Penttila, of Lake Worth Beach, was arrested on Jan. 29. He has worked for 28 years in the Palm Beach County School District, mostly teaching middle school students on an as-needed basis, a probable cause affidavit states.
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WATCH HEREAccording to the document, two tips from a search engine “indicated [Penttila] had child sexual abuse material in his possession and that he uploaded the material into their search engine to locate similar images.”
According to NBC affiliate WPTV, the first cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children came on Aug. 1, 2023, from the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s South Florida ICAC task force.
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The tip said an internet user uploaded four files that depicted child sexual abuse material. On Aug. 9, investigators said they subpoenaed the internet service provider who uploaded the files, and that helped them identify the suspect.
More than a year later, on Nov. 11, 2024, the search engine reported that a user searched for explicit images of a child. When detectives subpoenaed the same internet service provider, the report said it traced back to Penttila.
On Dec. 13, 2024, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said they got another tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an internet user who uploaded child sex abuse material.
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On Jan. 21, 2025, a judge approved a search warrant for the suspect’s home. A SWAT team responded there three days later.
Investigators said they confronted him about the images but Penttila replied, "I might of unknowingly clicked on to that site and whatever image came up" and "I don't save them or use them."
But later in the report, detectives said he admitted he was "curious about it" and wondered "what people are doing" but doesn't "search it out."
The suspect also allegedly “stated he looked at the material to see if he recognized the people in the image and to know if they were in his community. Later Penttila went on to say, ‘I am interested in the problem of child pornography that is for sure. I am interested in all children’s problems. You know, that’s one of the things teachers do is they make themselves aware of any dangers in the community.'”
Investigators seized his laptop for evidence on Jan. 27, 2025, and said they found 10 files of child pornography on his computer. The affidavit said the images found on his computer depicted children from 2 years old to 13 years old being sexually abused.
Penttila faces 10 counts of possessing child pornography. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.
The School District of Palm Beach County sent WPTV a statement on the arrest that read: "This substitute teacher was immediately terminated by the School District of Palm Beach County upon arrest. The charges are unrelated to District schools."
The school district also said the following statement was sent to families of the schools where Penttila subbed in the last 12 months: "I am contacting you to inform you that an individual who worked as a substitute teacher at our school was arrested. The charges are not related to our school. Following the arrest, the individual was terminated by the School District. Please understand that because this is an ongoing matter, we are unable to provide further details regarding the arrest at this time."
