A Brooklyn high school teacher faces up to 15-years behind bars after being convicted on sexual abuse charges.
Following a week-long trial, a federal grand jury in New York found Leon M. Goldstein for the Sciences teacher Jonathan Deutsch guilty on four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and six counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
“Jonathan Deutsch connected with young children over the Internet and exploited them for his own sexual gratification,” Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said in a news release. “His conduct is criminal and deplorable. This Office is committed to vigorously prosecuting individuals who sexually exploit children and to ensuring that they are brought to justice. Today’s conviction should serve as yet another reminder as to the importance of educating our children about the risks of communicating with strangers online.”
Peace was aided in overseeing the case by Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), all of whom announced the verdicts.
“As the evidence presented at trial proved, Deutsch groomed children as young as 10-years-old and enticed them into sending explicit photos of themselves in pursuit of his sexual gratification,” Driscoll added. “Parents and guardians are the best line of defense against Deutsch and predators like him. Have a conversation with your children; talk with them about being safe online and tell them to ask for help the moment they are asked to do something that doesn't feel right.”
Sewell also made a point of expressing his outrage.
“The trust between teachers and young students is vitally important, and violation of that trust by criminal predators is truly reprehensible,” he said. “This defendant’s appalling actions are a reminder to all parents to closely monitor their child’s online activity, and today’s conviction further proves that the NYPD and our law-enforcement partners will never abate our efforts to keep young people safe. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, the New York Field Office of the FBI, and every investigator who worked on this important case.”
As far back as in 2016, authorities argued Deutsch targeted youths by joining Facebook groups where he identified users based on their profiles as minors. Using two separate accounts, investigators added Deutsch messaged children as part of his plan to develop relationships with them.
With one of the accounts, Deutsch posed as a 33-year-old teacher from New York, and using the other he posted as a 15-year-old boy. Over time, Deutsch enticed the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and then send him videos and photos of their actions. He also sent minors sexual photos that he represented to be of himself.
With the prosecution being part of the nationwide Project Safe Childhood initiative, further trial evidence included testimony from law enforcement witnesses who examined Deutsch’s computer, three of the children he exploited and evidence of his Internet browser history and Facebook records.
Though no sentencing date has been set, Deutsch is to be sentenced by U District Judge Frederic Block.
