SALISBURY — A Salisbury High School teacher has been arrested after police said that he was found to have been in possession of child pornography late last year.
The Salisbury Police Department began the investigation on Oct. 30, 2025, after they were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an unidentified individual located in Salisbury had uploaded what appeared to be child pornography, according to a release from the department.
During the investigation, detectives, with assistance from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the Landis Police Department, reportedly identified 35-year old Juan Pablo Valencia-Chavez as the person who uploaded the pornography and seized digital items from him and his home in Landis and searched them.
During the forensic search, detectives were able to locate images and video evidence “consistent with child pornography,” according to the release.
Police arrested Valencia on Jan. 6, 2026 and charged him with one count of felony third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Valencia was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $20,000 bond.
At the time the investigation started, Valencia was a teacher at Salisbury High School, according to the release. Detectives notified school staff, “who immediately took action to prevent further interactions with students and staff,” wrote the department in the release.
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our children. We will always pursue these investigations with the utmost seriousness to ensure that those responsible for this type of egregious activity are held accountable,” said Chief P.J. Smith.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact Detective McDaniel at 704-638-5333.
The Salisbury Post has reached out to Rowan-Salisbury Schools for comment.
