A public high school teacher from New York City has been arrested on federal charges related to child sexual abuse material. Matthew Puccio, 38, a history teacher at the Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts in Harlem, was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court, Puccio is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Prosecutors allege he used a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to download and distribute videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The investigation began after HSI agents identified an IP address sharing files of suspected child sexual abuse material. A search of Puccio's residence allegedly led to the discovery of numerous illicit files on his electronic devices. The New York City Department of Education confirmed Puccio has been removed from the classroom.
If convicted, Puccio faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years for the receipt charge, and up to 10 years for the possession charge. He was presented before a magistrate judge and released on a $100,000 bond with strict conditions, including home detention and electronic monitoring.
