A 24-year-old Erie School District teacher has been charged with two felony counts of viewing child pornography, and the charging documents allege that the teacher told investigators that he and another person would fantasize about having sex with the teacher’s male students.

The school district said it has placed the teacher, Tyler G. Funk, on leave in light of the charges. He was charged Nov. 5.

The pornography did not involve Funk’s students, according to the criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause. The affidavit states that Funk told police he taught seventh- and eighth-grade students.

Funk taught alternative education classes at the Erie School District’s Patrick J. DiPaolo Student Success Center at Emerson-Gridley, according to a statement he had posted on a school district site. The post has since been removed.

Funk told investigators that he and another person over the past three to four weeks watched videos of 13- and 14-year-old boys involved in sex acts, according to the criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause. Funk said the videos were on the other person’s phone, according to the documents.

Funk was charged after investigators with an FBI child exploitation task force interviewed him at his residence on Midland Drive in Millcreek Township at about 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 4, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The affidavit states that investigators arrived at the residence with a search warrant related to a social media account.

An Erie police officer who is on the task force charged Funk in state court. Funk is charged with two third-degree felony counts of viewing child sexual assault material.

Funk is free on an unsecured bond of $50,000. Millcreek District Judge Laurie Mikielski scheduled a preliminary hearing for Dec. 16, according to court records.

Erie School District says it is ‘appalled’ by allegations

Funk has been a teacher at the Erie School District for about a year and four months, according to his LinkedIn account. The district, in response to questions from the Erie Times-News, said Funk is on leave.

“As a District, we are deeply concerned and appalled by Mr. Funk’s alleged actions and are fully cooperating with law enforcement,” the district said in a statement. “Mr. Funk is currently on leave and is not permitted in any district building as the criminal investigation continues.

“We have no higher priority than the safety and security of our staff and students and have initiated our own investigation as well.”

Erie lawyer Gene Placidi is listed in court records as representing Funk. Placidi could not immediately be reached for comment.

The person with whom Funk is accused of watching the videos is not identified in the criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause, and the status of any criminal case against that person could not be immediately determined. Investigators also interviewed that person, who confirmed that he and Funk watched the videos together, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit also alleges that Funk told investigators that he and the other person would role play during sex, and that Funk would tell the other person “some ways” he would like to have sex with his male students.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie School District teacher charged with watching child pornography