A child psychologist’s home in Danvers, Massachusetts, was found to have hundreds of pornographic images of children hidden in a room behind a wall, according to Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
Mark Ternullo, 68, was arraigned Thursday on one count of possession of child pornography on Thursday at the Salem District Court.
The Essex Assistant District Attorney’s Office said Danvers Police were called to the multi-family home on Butler Avenue on Wednesday by the building owner, according to a WCVB5 report.
The images were found by contractors who were renovating the home. The pornographic images were found stashed in a secret room behind the bathtub. The building owner called the police.
The contractors found the room as they had to remove the wall behind the bathtub due to extensive water damage. Ternullo is believed to have lived in the home for over 20 years.
Police were able to obtain a search warrant on Wednesday morning and arrested Ternullo later that evening.
Prosecutor Anne Marie Gochis told Judge Randy Chapman on Thursday that the police are still investigating the origin of the pornographic images found. She also asked the judge to set bail at $500,000 cash, according to a Salem News report.
Ternullo’s attorney, Mark Dewan argued his client currently had a number of health concerns and was concerned about contracting COVID-19 while in jail. He asked for a bail no more than $1,000.
Chapman set bail at $10,000 and set conditions for house arrest, specifically that Ternullo must not be in contact with anyone under the age of 18 and cannot use the internet.
Over the last 20 years, Ternullo had worked in the local community, including at schools in the early 2000s, according to Salem News citing news articles and community listings from North of Boston Media Group newspapers.
Ternullo also ran a mentorship program in the early 2000s when he worked at O’Maley Innovation Middle School in Gloucester.
He was fired from Methuen’s Timony Grammar School in 2012 after it was discovered his school psychologist license had lapsed.
Ternullo also had a profile on a website for online psychotherapists. The website allowed people to search for psychologists and therapists and send them messages.
“I am a psychologist who’s been in practice for over 25 years,” it says on Ternullo’s profile.
“I enjoy seeing children, adults and adolescents. I also see couples and families.
“My clients have referred to me as: ‘friendly, smart, warm, and, under certain circumstances, humorous’.
“I consider myself an active therapist and a problem solver.”
Newsweek has contacted the Danvers Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office for comment.
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