A Cambridge private school teacher was charged with child pornography-related offenses.

Joshua DeWitte, 50, was charged in Cambridge District Court Thursday with distribution of obscene matter to a minor, possession of child pornography and distributing material of a child in a sex act for allegedly exchanging videos and photos with minors online, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.

DeWitte was a teacher at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School on Gerry’s Landing Road in Cambridge. He was a music teacher, a school spokesman confirmed.

Archives of his personal website, which is no longer actively hosted, also indicate he taught music. While the archived website is not fully usable, it indicates that he has either taught or conducted music at schools or organizations in Boston and Cambridge, in Chicago and overseas in both South Korea and Japan.

Buckingham Browne & Nichols is a day school for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, according to its website. The head of school confirmed in a statement that the school placed DeWitte on leave as the Cambridge Police Department investigates the allegations.

“He joined us at the start of this school year after having successfully completed all criminal background checks. Reference checks with three previous employers also indicated no concerns,” Head of School Jennifer Price wrote in the statement. “We will continue to keep our families apprised of any details we learn and to cooperate fully with the appropriate agencies in their investigation of this matter.”

The investigation is ongoing, with the DA’s office statement indicating that “investigators are actively working to identify the victims in this case.”

DeWitte’s alleged activity was disclosed to prosecutors by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program. According to a brief summary provided by the Middlesex DA’s statement, that program found that DeWitte “was allegedly using Snapchat to speak with multiple male children under the age of 18-years-old. The chats allegedly included conversations that were sexual in nature.”

Bail was set at $8,000 at his arraignment. Should DeWitte post bail, he is ordered to surrender his passport, stay away from his alleged victims and any witnesses, stay away from the the school and to not work with minors.

He is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 31.