School employee in Maplewood arrested for possession of child sex abuse material
Haslach's booking photo from Ramsey County (Courtesy: Ramsey County Sheriff's Office)
A school employee in Maplewood is facing 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to the Maplewood Police Department, 30-year-old William Michael Haslach was charged Tuesday with ten counts of possession of pornographic work involving minors under the age of 14.
Haslach, according to police, was a recess and traffic monitor at Cowern Elementary, Richardson Elementary, and North High in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District.
The district said in a statement that Haslach is currently on administrative leave and would not be allowed to be on school property or have contact with any students.
According to a criminal complaint, police were alerted to Haslach’s alleged online activities by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which told police multiple videos containing CSAM had been sent to an email and IP address connected to Haslach.
Police later met with Haslach, who reportedly admitted to police that he was sexually attracted to minors. Haslach said he would meet with other people on a variety of apps, including Telegram, Teleguard, and Bluesky, from whom he would receive the CSAM. Haslach has denied ever having sexual contact with a child.
The court document detailed ten videos reportedly found in Haslach’s possession, but police said they had found 800 files of CSAM and they were continuing to perform forensic examinations.
At this time, police said they were working to determine if any students were involved and asked parents who believe their child is a victim to contact the Predatory Crimes Section of the BCA at 651-793-2465.
A statement from School District 622, where Haslach worked, provided a statement which reads in part:
“This individual is currently on administrative leave from the school district and will not be on school property or have any contact with students.
Throughout his employment with the School District, from September, 2021 to January, 2025, the district did not receive any complaints or allegations regarding Mr. Haslach’s conduct toward students.
The district takes the safety and security of our students extremely seriously. We have been cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation and will continue to do so as the process unfolds. We understand the gravity of these charges and remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this difficult time.”
Haslach’s first court appearance was Wednesday morning.