What did Daniel Patrick Vandervossen do? Charges explored as FCPS teacher arrested over crimes against children

Daniel Patrick Vandervossen (Image via cityoffrederick.com)
Daniel Patrick Vandervossen (Image via cityoffrederick.com)

Frederick County of Maryland, USA, recently saw the arrest of Daniel Patrick Vandervossen for his alleged involvement in internet crimes against children (ICAC). Vandervossen, who worked as a substitute teacher in Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS), has been charged with possession of child p*rnography. Following his arrest, the FCPS released an official statement to inform their community how they had removed the teacher from their schedule.

Per the official release by the official website of the cityoffrederick.com, the police department began an investigation involving ICAC in September 2024. The suspect was identified as Daniel Patrick Vandervossen.

The release further revealed how the Frederick Police Department's Major Crimes Unit executed the search and seizure warrants they were granted to take Vandervossen into custody.

"During the investigation, Detective DeWees authored and was granted search and seizure warrants for Vandervossen’s residence and vehicle. On October 16, 2024, members of the Frederick Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit executed those search and seizure warrants, where evidence was collected," read the release.

FCPS releases statement regarding their substitute teacher Daniel Patrick Vandervossen's arrest

Following Vandervossen's arrest, the Frederick County Public Schools released a statement addressing the situation. Writing to the FCPS community, the schools revealed that they were notified about the substitute teacher's alleged involvement in a child p*rnography case on October 4. Soon after learning about this, the schools placed Vandervossen on unpaid leave and removed him from their schedule.

The release further confirmed that Daniel Patrick Vandervossen had been associated with FCPS since September 2023. They wrote,

"We understand that this news is concerning and may raise questions for you. This substitute teacher has worked for FCPS, most recently since September 2023 at several of our elementary schools. At the time of his hire, there were no flags raised through fingerprinting or background check procedures."

FCPS ensures that fingerprinting and background checks are also the criteria that all substitute teachers pass before they are hired. When issues arise during their employment, FCPS responds swiftly. FCPS aims to support the law enforcement partners in their investigation of the case. Therefore, they have informed the officials of the schools where Vandervossen worked as a substitute teacher.

Vandervossen was taken into custody by the police and transported to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center. He was charged with 11 counts of possession of child p*rnography. However, following his meeting with the district court commissioner, he has been released on a $5,000 unsecured personal bond. Details about his arraignment in court have yet to be made available.

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Edited by Priscillah Mueni