A teacher at the W.T. Clarke Middle and High School in East Meadow pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in federal court on Wednesday, Sept. 24, according to court filings from the Eastern District of New York.
Michael Fazio, 40, from Bellmore, possessed hundreds of images of child pornography in his Dropbox account and cellphone, federal prosecutors said. When sentenced, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
A search warrant was issued in April, where Fazio admitted that he uploaded three images of child pornography to his Dropbox account in October 2024, court officials said.
A search of one of Fazio’s cellphones revealed more than 700 additional images of child pornography, according to court filings. Another cellphone contained a “Hidden Pictures” folder, which was used to store adult pornographic images as well as images and videos of some of Fazio’s students that he surreptitiously recorded during music instruction, according to court filings.
“Fazio possessed unthinkable graphic images of child sexual abuse, all while employed in a position of trust as a middle and high school music teacher,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr said. “Prosecuting those who victimize children by feeding the market for child pornography will always be a top priority of our office and our law enforcement partners.”
