Omaha foreign exchange coordinator charged with sexual exploitation of 3 children

A coordinator for a program that matches foreign exchange students with host families has been charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.

According to the

, Thomas Boatright, 50, of Council Bluffs was arrested there last week.

The exchange organization said they removed students from Boatright's home as soon as they learned of the allegations and that Boatright was an independent contractor for the program.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Boatright must remain in jail because “there is a serious risk the defendant will endanger the safety of another person or community.”

Allegations made in court records state that Boatright had three children engage in sexually explicit conduct with the purpose of making pornography. The alleged events happened between Aug. 10 and Feb. 13, the documents state.

Boatright worked as a contractor for

, a program that connects international students with host families across the U.S., according to their website.

Boatright connected such students with high schools and families and has previously hosted teens himself.

The organization had this to say about the allegations:

"Upon learning of these allegations, we immediately removed students from the home of this individual and reported the situation to authorities and the students’ parents. We placed the students with temporary caregivers and are working with everyone to provide as much support as needed. This individual has been permanently removed from our program and will not be eligible to host students in the future. We will continue working with law enforcement and will cooperate fully as they continue their investigation. As this is a criminal investigation, and out of respect for the privacy of those involved, we cannot share more information at this time."