The FBI has arrested a Florida Christian elementary school teacher for producing, distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
According to the criminal complaint, Matthew C. Graziotti, a 42-year-old Edgewater resident and teacher at Warner Christian Academy, distributed 141 images and six videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children to an FBI agent, who was acting in an undercover capacity. During the execution of a search warrant, agents located thousands of child pornography images on his computer.
One folder on the computer was named “personally known.” The folder contained 41 subfolders titled with different boys’ names. In one of the subfolders, agents located a picture of Graziotti sexually abusing a prepubescent boy. The picture was produced with a digital camera that agents found in Graziotti’s residence. The investigation revealed that Graziotti teaches elementary school in South Daytona, and is director of the school’s summer day camp program. He formerly worked as a youth pastor at a church in Edgewater.
“Warner Christian Academy and White Chapel are in full cooperation with the authorities,” Warner Christian Academy school spokesperson Stacey Parsons told MyFoxOrlando.com. “Due to the fact that this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to make any additional comments at this time. We are committed to being as transparent as possible during this process and will release any additional information as it becomes available.”
If convicted, Graziotti faces up to 30 years in federal prison for the production charge, as well as a minimum of five years for each count of receipt and distribution and a maximum penalty of 10 years for possession.
Let’s pray for the children involved, as well as Graziotti and his family, as authorities seek the truth.
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