Federal Bureau of Investigation

Ex-Teacher at Elite NYC School Sentenced to Prison in Child Porn Case

A former Bronx high school teacher who pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Jon Cruz was sentenced in Manhattan federal court on Thursday. Authorities said he paid at least five victims in different states to send him sexually explicit pictures while he was employed as a teacher and debate coach at Bronx High School for Science.

Prosecutors say the 34-year-old Manhattan resident carried out the crimes from July 2014 through December 2015 on a school computer. They said he posted a picture of a former student as he enticed teenage boys to send him photographs, sometimes nude.

Cruz's lawyer, Steve Zissou, said his client has taken full responsibility for his actions and was making significant progress in therapy.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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