Neighbors react after Yukon Private School principal arrested on child pornography charges

Neighbors of a former Yukon private school principal were left in shock after learning of his arrest on child pornography allegations.

Kevin Cobbs, the former principal and coach at Southwest Covenant Schools, was arrested this week at his home by the Canadian County Sheriff's Office. Authorities executed a search warrant at his residence, uncovering disturbing content on his electronic devices.

Some of Cobbs’ neighbors said they were unaware of the allegations.

“I’m glad they arrested him,” said Jeff, who lives across the street. “I’ve got grandkids who live right down the street.”

Other neighbors News 9 spoke with said they were shocked -- some even sobbed, describing him as a nice man.

Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said a cyber tip led investigators to Cobbs. A search of his home resulted in the seizure of two iPhones, where investigators said they found a nude photo of a 16-year-old boy hidden in a folder on his phone.

"People tend to do ... that want to prey on children. Oftentimes they end up in professions where, guess what? They have children at their access," said West. “This is a bad situation for everybody involved, especially victims—real, live victims that are going to be minor individuals."

Investigators have requested an additional search warrant for Cobbs’ email account and related subscriber information from Yahoo, including email addresses, screen names, and billing records.

“We have a job to do, and that’s to protect kids,” West said.

No formal charges have been filed against Cobbs at this time. The district and school board say it is launching an independent investigation into the matter.

RELATED COVERAGE: Private high school principal fired, arrested on child pornography charges