Crime

Psychologist arrested after contractor discovers hidden room of child porn in Danvers apartment

The man reportedly worked at elementary and middle schools during his career.

February 10, 2022

A Danvers psychologist was arraigned Thursday for possessing child pornography after hundreds of images were discovered by a contractor while renovating his apartment, according to officials.

Mark Ternullo, 68, was arraigned on one count of possession of child pornography in Salem District Court, the Essex County DA’s office reported.

NEW: The Essex County DA’s office confirms this is Mark Ternullo, a local family & child psychologist charged with possession of child pornography. The secret room in his Danvers home where police say they found hundreds of pornographic photos — more at 10/11 on #tv38 #WBZ pic.twitter.com/FreJVbSPYF
— Kristina Rex (@KristinaRex) February 11, 2022

Ternullo’s explicit images were discovered Wednesday, though he lived in that apartment for 23 years. The owner of his building contacted police and told them that a contractor she had hired to renovate Ternullo’s bathroom had found the images of child sexual exploitation during renovations.

To renovate the bathroom, the contractor had to remove the wall behind Ternullo’s bathtub due to extensive water damage. In doing so, the contractor found a hidden room with boxes full of pictures of child sexual exploitation.

Upon receiving this report, Danvers police secured the apartment and obtained a search warrant. Danvers police detectives executed the search warrant with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Crime Scene Services.

The Essex County DA’s Office confirmed Thursday that Mark Ternullo was a psychologist listed on openpathcollective.org.

According to Salem News, Ternullo worked at a number of schools and community organizations in the early 2000s. In 2012, Salem News reported, he was fired from Methuen’s Timony Grammar School after officials learned his school psychologist license had lapsed.

Salem News also reported that he worked at O’Maley Innovation Middle School in Gloucester in the mid-2000s, and was associated with Children’s Friend and Family Services in Haverhill, where he ran a mentorship program, in the early 2000s.

Essex County ADA Ann Marie Gochis requested $500,000 cash bail and that Ternullo remain under house arrest with a GPS monitoring device, have no contact with children under 18, and not use the internet if he posts bail.

Judge Randy Chapman set bail at $10,000 and imposed the conditions requested by the Commonwealth.

The defendant is represented by Attorney Mark Dewan. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 7, 2022.