A retired Long Island elementary school teacher was arrested after being accused of sexually abusing students in cases that date back to the 1980s, and investigators are looking for other potential victims to come forward.
Thomas Berngozzi said nothing as he left court Thursday on supervised release, with a monitor strapped to his ankle after pleading not guilty. The 75-year-old is facing charges he sexually abused third-graders he once taught, police said.
"The breadth of the abuse itself is astounding," said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
The DA said the victims of the alleged abuse were students at two Bay Shore elementary schools, including the Mary G. Clarkson School and the Gardiner Manor School. Berngozzi had been a teacher in the town for about three decades, and prosecutors allege he subjected scores of students to abuse both at school and away from school property.
"Including trips to the beach, where he would take them into the locker rooms...and shower with them, and help them change. He took them to a health club that he was a member of," said Josh Silber, a lawyer for two alleged victims.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Tierney also said that one possible victim was a 4-year-old whose sibling was Berngozzi's third-grade student.
In all, 45 former students have filed civil complaints against their former teacher alleging abuse. The criminal charges announced on Thursday focus on allegations of abuse from two students in particular, but prosecutors are asking for others to come forward.
An attorney representing 43 other alleged victims said his clients were "very pleased to see the wheels of justice in action."
"While this [arrest] opens up old wounds, it also provides an opportunity for victims to have a voice and expose predators and enables victims to have a measure of justice. While we can't take away what happened to these brave men, hopefully this arrest and prosecution will provide some closure and healing," attorney Jeff Herman said in a statement.
Berngozzi's attorney said his client "vehemently denies the allegations."
The lawyer for the alleged victims said they were relieved by the arrest, but now also aim to hold Bay Shore school officials accountable for what happened.
"Our investigations have revealed that there was ample evidence of complaints against him going back for decades," said Silber. "And yet nobody ever put a stop to him spending all this time with these boys."
Bay Shore schools did not respond to a request for comment from NBC New York. The superintendent of the district released a statement to the community, saying Bernagozzi hasn't been affiliated with the district since 2000 and that school officials have no other information about the matter.
Bernagozzi is due back in court in January.
