Matthew Podolsky, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest of Ross Lanvin on charges of possessing child pornography. Lanvin, a teacher at a public school in Manhattan, is accused of having hundreds of images and videos depicting children as young as three years old engaged in explicit conduct. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court.
Podolsky stated: “As alleged, Ross Lanvin, who had close contact with students as a teacher at a public school in Manhattan, possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. Together with our partners at the NYPD and Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations for the NYC School District, we will continue to work to root out those who possess child pornography, especially when those individuals work in positions that give them access to children—some of the most vulnerable members of our community." The investigation into Lanvin continues, and information can be reported to Wendy Olsen-Clancy at 866-874-8900 or wendy.olsen@usdoj.gov.
The complaint alleges that Lanvin has been employed by the New York City Department of Education intermittently since 2006 and was teaching math at a middle school in Manhattan from September 2021 through December 2024. During this period, he allegedly stored child pornography on a Google account under a fake name. Google terminated access to this account after discovering suspected illegal content on December 20, 2024.
On February 13, law enforcement searched Lanvin’s apartment in Manhattan and found child pornography on his electronic devices. Lanvin faces two counts related to possession of such material involving prepubescent minors and those under twelve years old. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Podolsky commended the investigative efforts by several agencies including the New York City Police Department Special Investigations Unit and Computer Crimes Squad. The case is managed by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Phillips from the General Crimes Unit.
It is important to note that these charges are accusations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
