West Bloomfield JCC camp counselor charged with child porn pleads not guilty

Jewish Community Center fires 3 camp staff members

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – Matthew David Kuppe, the 21-year-old Michigan State University and former Jewish Community Center camp counselor from West Bloomfield, appeared Thursday before federal Judge Mona Mayhew.

Kuppe was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and orange Crocs shoes. He pleaded not guilty to six counts of production, possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.

Kuppe remains behind bars where he has been since his arrest two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Jewish Community Center, where federal investigators say Kuppe took pictures of campers and sent them to a Russia-based child porn website, started firing camp employees. The firings were not just for missing this incident. Overall, three camp staff members were terminated.

It turns out the center received warnings about Kuppe while he worked at the camp last summer. He was still rehired this summer despite the warnings.

Here is a statement from Michael Layne, who is a spokesman for the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit:

"In our ongoing commitment to be forthcoming, we wanted to update you regarding the allegations related to the former JCC camp counselor currently in custody.

The JCC has been cooperating daily with federal, state and local authorities as well as conducting its own internal investigation. Although all of these investigations are not complete, we felt it appropriate to advise you that this past Friday, August 21, we uncovered disturbing information.

In the summer of 2014, JCC camp supervisory personnel received a communication from a camp counselor which raised inappropriate conduct by the counselor who ultimately was charged with criminal wrongdoing. The information reported was not passed on to senior JCC management. Supervisory personnel who did not act on this communication have been terminated. We have shared this information with licensing officials in Lansing and with the West Bloomfield police department.

We are heartsick that this matter has occurred. Consistent with our long history of delivering positive experiences in our camp and early development programs, the safety of children in our care will continue to be our highest priority. We pledge to continue all efforts to be transparent and proactive in communicating with our camper families and the community."

Meanwhile, Kuppe's attorney is trying to get the federal judge to release him on bond while he awaits trial. He said Kuppe's parents work from their home and would supervise him under what amounts to house arrest. They claim he is not a flight risk.

The government wants Kuppe in jail because they want him away from electronics that have access to the Internet.


About the Author:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Plannerâ„¢ Professional.