Police say a Snapchat account tied to the 58-year-old was traced from a Texas tip; a judge set a $500 signature bond.
MADISON, WI — A Madison elementary school teacher was charged Friday with child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography after police searched his near east side home and arrested him two days earlier, authorities said. David Fawcett, 58, teaches in the Madison Metropolitan School District and is now on administrative leave, district officials said.
Prosecutors filed four counts in Dane County Circuit Court as detectives outlined how a Texas cyber tip about a 15-year-old’s explicit images led investigators to a Snapchat account traced to Fawcett’s residence. Court records show he made an initial appearance Friday and received a $500 signature bond. The district noted the student involved is not enrolled in Madison schools. The case is at an early stage, with a status conference set for March 30 while investigators review seized electronics and communications for additional evidence.
According to a criminal complaint, the investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a report to police in Melissa, Texas, about explicit photos sent online by a 15-year-old girl. Texas officers flagged one recipient username that investigators linked to a Madison IP address. Madison police obtained a warrant and served it Wednesday at a home on the 1000 block of Spaight Street, where officers detained Fawcett. The complaint describes explicit exchanges between the accounts, including eight nude images and videos and messages instructing sexual acts; the messages also acknowledged the illegal age gap, the filing states. During Friday’s hearing, a court commissioner granted a signature bond and scheduled the next court date. “Possession of child pornography, regardless of whether it involves a district student, is considered grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination,” the Madison schools handbook states.
The complaint details what officers say they found as the warrant was executed. Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit announced at the front door, and a detective reported seeing Fawcett move quickly through the home. When SWAT officers entered, they saw electronic devices “on fire inside of the microwave,” according to the filing. A detective documented a tablet resting on a smartphone in the microwave cavity with eight seconds left on the timer; both devices were burned and warm. Investigators also describe messages in which the account tied to the Madison IP asked the teen about school, clothing and “what she was wearing,” while telling her to pay attention in class, according to the affidavit. A Madison police spokesperson said the victim is not a Madison student. Records from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction show Fawcett has held state teaching licenses since 1998 and currently holds a lifetime license.
Fawcett is listed as a STEM teacher in the district’s Reach Program at Nuestro Mundo Elementary School on Madison’s south side. District administrators confirmed he was placed on administrative leave after the arrest and emphasized that the student referenced in the complaint lives out of state. The Texas lead came through the national cyber tipline process that flags potential child exploitation to local authorities. The complaint also notes a prior 2022 referral to Madison police involving an online platform; detectives say a TikTok-linked report that year prompted a conversation with Fawcett but did not lead to charges at the time. Friday’s filing focuses on the Snapchat communications described by investigators and the devices seized during the search.
Prosecutors charged Fawcett with one count of child sexual exploitation and three counts of possession of child pornography. All four counts are felonies under Wisconsin law. At the initial appearance, the court set a $500 signature bond, meaning Fawcett was not required to post cash to be released but must follow bond conditions. The court scheduled a status conference for March 30. Standard next steps include formal arraignment, exchange of evidence and forensic analysis of seized electronics. The district said employment decisions proceed under its handbook, which states an arrest or indictment alone is not an automatic basis for adverse action; however, the handbook also says possession of child pornography can result in discipline up to termination. No plea has been entered.
Neighbors on Spaight Street watched as marked police vehicles and a SWAT team staged on the block Wednesday morning. Detectives carried out boxes and bags during the search, according to the complaint inventory. In the courtroom Friday, Fawcett sat at the defense table in civilian clothing and spoke briefly to acknowledge he understood the counts. No family members addressed the court. Outside the courthouse, the district reiterated that Nuestra Mundo families were notified and that student support teams remain available on campus. The complaint quotes the detective who opened the microwave during the search: the devices inside were “burned, and still warm.”
As of Friday evening, the Madison Police Department said the investigation remains open while digital forensic work continues on seized hardware and accounts. Prosecutors indicated they could amend charges depending on what the analysis reveals. Fawcett is due back in court on March 30; additional hearings could be set after that date based on the results of the ongoing review.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.