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PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. β A former Prince George elementary school teacher has been convicted on multiple charges of child pornography and child sexual abuse after entering a plea agreement in circuit court.
Miranda Janeway pleaded guilty to several charges on Thursday during her first in-person court appearance in a year, whispering her guilty pleas five times as family members watched tearfully from the gallery.
The investigation began on Oct. 15, 2024, when the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force flagged a sex act uploaded and shared to the messaging platform Kik.
Investigators traced the content back to Janeway, discovering videos and 46 child pornography images in private messages on her phone, as well as related posts on social media.
Police questioned Janeway at David Harrison Elementary School, where she had been teaching for only three months, before arresting her and taking her to Riverside Regional Jail.
Janeway pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child. Prosecutors said in September of 2024 she "coached" the 22-month-old male victim on sexually fondling her. Prosecutors said on multiple occasions she grabbed his hand to do it. The 28-year-old is also convicted of several counts of producing, selling and distributing child porn and sex with an animal. Janeway admitted to having a dog perform a sex act on her in July 2023.
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The defense told the court that Janeway was influenced by a person she was talking to named Christian. Attorneys highlighted her lack of prior criminal history, describing her as a "model citizen."
While Janeway was convicted on one count of sexual abuse of a child, one count of sex abuse of an animal and three counts of producing child pornography, the other six charges she was facing will be nolle prosequi, officials said.
Janeway's sentencing date is scheduled to be set on March 20, 2026. She faces anywhere from 5 to 30 years in prison.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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