Yukon private school principal fired amid child porn allegations

YUKON, Okla. (KFOR) — A private school principal was arrested in Yukon on Tuesday morning for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to the Canadian County Sheriff's Office, deputies executed a search warrant at a home in Yukon at around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday while investigating allegations of child porn possession. Canadian County Sheriff Chris West told News 4 employees Wednesday his office acted on a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Deputies then questioned 56-year-old Kevin Cobbs, a principal and baseball coach at Southwest Covenant Schools. Cobbs reportedly admitted to viewing sexually explicit material involving adults, but denied seeking or possessing child pornography.

Investigators searched Cobbs' phone and allegedly found a photo in a hidden folder depicting a nude teenage boy.

Court papers say Cobbs allegedly told detectives the photo had been "air-dropped" to him. When asked why he kept it, Cobbs allegedly told detectives he didn't know what else to do with the photo.

"It's just, it's illegal to possess that kind of stuff," said West. "It's illegal to have it. You have a delete option, right."

A news release shared Wednesday by the sheriff's office said investigators also found more photographs of young males that were traded on Snapchat on Cobbs' phone. The photos were allegedly hidden behind a photo vault. Additional examination also uncovered video evidence allegedly taken by Cobbs that included underage children in their underwear.

"This investigation really isn't over," said West. "We have these electronic devices that we're going to run forensic examinations on, and there's some other information that we were able to obtain from Mr. Cobbs that we're going to go ahead and pursue because there are minors involved.

Cobbs was arrested by deputies and booked into the Canadian County Jail on a $25,000 bond. He has since bonded out of jail.

"As far as I'm concerned, everybody but him is a victim, you know, so, our heart goes out to all them," said West.

Court documents note that one of the victims is a student at Southwest Covenant Schools. West wouldn't say how many additional victims investigators believe there are, or if any of them are suspected to be Oklahoma students.

An email was sent out to parents on Tuesday following the incident.

Dear Parents,

I am writing to inform you that high school principal Kevin Cobbs was arrested earlier today for charges related to child pornography. We continue to gather additional information. Mr. Cobbs has been suspended, and all physical and electronic access to the school has been revoked.

Our priority now is supporting the well-being of our students. I will be meeting with our high school students tomorrow morning and counselors will be available to offer additional support.

While this news is shocking to all of us, I have great confidence that our faith, and the strength of our community will help us navigate this challenge together.

Headmaster Steve Lessman, Southwest Covenant Schools

On Wednesday, Lessman sent out an update announcing that Cobbs has been fired from Southwest Covenant Schools.

As previously shared, high school principal Kevin Cobbs was arrested yesterday for charges related to child pornography. Mr. Cobbs's employment with the school has been terminated.

The school continues to gather information and is fully cooperating with law enforcement. Additionally, the School Board is launching an independent investigation into the matter. We will provide more information regarding the investigation at the appropriate time.

During this difficult time, the well-being of our students remains our top priority. I met with our secondary students this morning and counselors remain available to support our school community.

I am confident that the resilience and faith of our community will see us through the challenges ahead. Please don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns.

Headmaster Steve Lessman, Southwest Covenant Schools

News 4 reached out to both Cobbs and his wife for comment on Wednesday. Cobbs' wife declined to pass a News 4 reporter's information on to her husband or answer any questions. West said Wednesday he expects additional charges for Cobbs to be on the way.

"These types of heinous crimes that are involving underage children, I take very seriously," said West.