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ALTOONA, Wis. (AP) — A school superintendent in western Wisconsin was arrested Thursday on federal charges of the sex trafficking of a minor and production of child pornography.

A federal grand jury indicted Altoona school Superintendent Daniel Peggs last week, and the indictment was unsealed after Peggs’ arrest, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Scott Blader, and Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said Thursday.

Peggs, 32, was arrested about 7 a.m. Thursday on his way to school, Altoona school board President Robin Elvig told the Leader-Telegram.

“Utter shock is an understatement,” Elvig said. “I’m still in shock.”

The Altoona school board chose Peggs as its new superintendent in February 2019 and he began serving in that position in July. Before that, he had been Altoona’s middle-school principal since 2016.

The indictment alleges that between October 2015 through May 2016, Peggs recruited an underage female for a commercial sex act and used an iPhone to produce a video of child pornography in December 2015.

How does somebody this young become a principal or school superintendent? When Peggs was hired into his job as superintendent, he promised to "build trust" after a controversy with the previous superintendent, who had "created an abrasive and fearful work environment", leading to many staff members resigning.

Peggs was released from custody almost immediately and is under house arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger did not object to Peggs' release.

Although he appears to have been fired in March, School Board President Robin Elvig said at a news conference on the day of his arrest that when Peggs is released from custody, the district will place him on administrative leave. Apparently Peggs is entitled (by law) to the remainder of his accumulated vacation time. Peggs is the third Wisconsin educator to be federally charged with sex crimes this year. He was arrested in February.

His arrest resulted in his wife receiving over $22,000 in "donations" within a week from a drive set up by mental health counselor Melissa M. Jenneman. His wife, Ashley Peggs, was also part of the Altoona school district. She is a former second grade teacher and is now a stay-at-home mom of her four girls. She is also a Children’s Museum of Eau Claire Ambassador.