Tulsa teacher arrested for exhibiting obscene material

Thursday, February 6th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa high school teacher is in the Tulsa County jail. Donald Cherry surrendered late Thursday afternoon after a warrant was issued on charges of showing pornography to some of his students.

News on Six crime reporter Lori Fullbright says the affidavit says Cherry admitted everything to Tulsa Police.

Cherry had taught history and special education at Tulsa's High School for Science and Technology for less than two years. When he learned he'd be facing four felony charges, he resigned. The arrest affidavit says Cherry admitted pulling up pornographic images on his school computer and showing them to three boy students, ages 14, 15, and 16. Later, when a 15-year-old girl student was using the teacher's computer, she clicked on a box marked cheerleader and it turned out to be naked cheerleaders. She told a teacher, who told the principal.

Computer detectives say they found more than 200 pornographic images on Cherry's computer, including eight that a doctor said depicted 12-year-old girls. Cherry's bond is $40,000.

His attorney plans to ask for a lower bond at a hearing. The actual charges are three counts of exhibiting obscene material and one count of possessing child pornography.