BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STNG)  -- A former Chicago Public Schools teacher is being held on $400,000 bond Thursday after being charged with possession and dissemination of child pornography.

Samuel Hossin, 61, of S. 87th Ct. in southwest suburban Hickory Hills was charged Wednesday with one count of aggravated dissemination of child porn and one count of aggravated possession of child porn, according to a release from the Cook County Sheriff's office.

Officers from the sheriff's Child Exploitation Unit began investigating Hossin last summer after receiving a tip that he had child pornography on his computer, the release said. Police executed a search warrant in early September, seizing a loaded .38 caliber handgun, several computers and a computer hard drive found hidden behind a basement ceiling.

Hossin allegedly admitted to police that the hard drive contained pornographic images of children, the release said.

Bond was set at $400,000 Thursday morning at the Bridgeview Courthouse and Hossin was being held at the Cook County Jail awaiting his next court appearance on Nov. 13, the release said. Aggravated dissemination is a Class X felony and aggravated possession a Class 2 felony. If convicted, Hossin faces a possible maximum of 30 years.

Hossin worked as a teacher for CPS for 30 years before retiring in 2006, the release said. Prior to retiring, he worked as a sixth-grade teacher at a South Side school. Police said at his point there is no evidence to suggest he had any physical contact with children. CPS officials are cooperating in the investigation.