A Long Island high school teacher is free on bail after he was arrested on federal charges, accused of uploading more than 400 files containing child porn images from his home desktop computer to a Google account, authorities say.
Joseph Zanco, a physics teacher at Massapequa High School, was ordered to stay away from all minors, including his 6-year-old son, unless another adult is present, after he was released on $300,000 bail. His wife, a middle school teacher in Massapequa, was in court supporting him as he was charged.
Google contacted law enforcement after Zanco allegedly uploaded the images, and about two weeks later, federal agents searched his home in Massapequa, prosecutors said. They found more child porn on his phone and his laptop.
Zanco was then removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave until his arrest Monday.
His attorney Alan Nelson told News 4 his client "adamantly denies the allegations" and that he's been a respected teacher for 15 years.
In a statement, Massapequa schools superintendent said, "We take these allegations very seriously, as the safety and well-being of our children is our paramount concern."
As part of his bail conditions, Zanco must refrain from using the Internet and must wear a monitoring bracelet.
