By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

LAWRENCEBURG - A Moores Hill, Ind., couple face felony charges after Indiana State Police troopers say the couple took photographs of sexual activity involving underage male students from South Dearborn High School in Aurora.

Matthew Rowlett, 35, and Kelly Clinger, 22, are each charged with four counts of child exploitation, all felonies. They are being held at Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center in lieu of $250,000 surety and $2,500 cash bond.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled Feb. 26.

Rowlett was a study hall monitor at South Dearborn High School from August 2001 until May 2003.

Authorities say they do not know whether Rowlett met the four boys involved through his job at the school.

An Indiana State Police investigation into the incident began in September, when Clinger told a social worker about pornographic pictures she had found at the couple's home.

Police on Sept. 12 seized a personal computer and hard drive, computer discs, video tapes, pornographic videos and Polaroid photos depicting young boys in various states of undress, consuming alcohol and involved in sexual acts with each other and with Rowlett and Clinger, a police affidavit says.

Clinger subsequently told police that Rowlett took the pictures of her engaging in sex acts with the boys and that she had taken many of the photos in which Rowlett was involved, the affidavit says.

As a study hall monitor at South Dearborn High, Rowlett took attendance and monitored students who were doing their homework, said Tom Book, superintendent at South Dearborn Community Schools. The study hall is an open area in the school's cafeteria.

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E-mail daveck@fuse.net