He knew all along he was innocent. And now 29-year-old William Matthew Kimbrell wants everyone else to know, too.
The former Barrow County middle school teacher was indicted in March 2014 on federal child pornography charges. But before his case could go to trial, the charges against Kimbrell were dropped.
“I’ve worked hard to build my reputation over the years, and in just a matter of minutes it was simply destroyed,” Kimbrell said. “Popular belief was that immediately I was guilty and didn’t give me a chance to share my side of the story.”
In 2014, the U.S. Attorney’s Office distributed a news release stating that Kimbrell was accused of distributing pornography while working as a teacher, and media outlets reported the allegations. On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case when contacted by Channel 2 Action News.
Early in 2014, federal investigators had searched Kimbrell’s Covington home, and he later resigned from his job teaching engineering and technology.
“I had no idea what was going on, and I immediately felt it could be a mistake. I had no clue,” Kimbrell said. “I didn’t know how to take it at all. I was surprised.”
Kimbrell was put on house arrest, allowed to leave only for church or doctor’s appointments. He and his family spent more than $100,000 on his legal defense.
“I know there are some bad people out there that prey on children, and I agree that these crimes need to be investigated,” Kimbrell said. “But I am not and have never been one of those type of people.”
In late November, Kimbrell was told the charges had been dropped.
“I think this is the second time I’ve had this happen in 20 years,” Kimbrell’s attorney, Page Pate, told Channel 2. “During their investigation they thought he was distributing child porn from a computer in Statesboro, Georgia, but we had evidence he was not in Statesboro, Georgia, at the time.”
Kimbrell and Pate believe it’s possible investigators zeroed in on Kimbrell because of his use of “peer to peer” software he used to download music.
“It is entirely possible, and we’ve seen this in other cases, where you’ll be searching for something legal and you’ll get something illegal,” Pate said. “And at that point you can’t just delete it off the computer. It doesn’t go away.”
Also, being a single man and working with preteens carries a certain stigma, Kimbrell said.
“This is a real fear,” Kimbrell said. “As much as I enjoy students, I would be scared to go back in the classroom. I don’t think this would have ever happened if I had been in a different profession.”
Kimbrell still has a teaching certificate, but knows he likely won’t be returning to the classroom, unless he pursues a graduate degree. He isn’t sure what career path he’ll choose and hopes to begin tackling his debts. He’s ready for a fresh start and eager to put much of the past two years behind him.
“At least now I have the chance to move forward,” he said.
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