The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said a former middle school teacher in Winter Garden has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Ryan Hamil was an educator at Water Spring Middle School but was fired in late August once the investigation and allegations against him came to light, Fox 35 reported Friday, adding that students’ parents were immediately notified of the situation.
A mugshot shows the 22-year-old suspect in the case:
#ORANGECOUNTY 🚨FORMER OCPS TEACHER CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF CHILD EXPLOITATION MATERIAL🚨A 22-year-old man –…
Posted by On The Scene News CFL on Friday, September 29, 2023
Officials booked the suspect into jail regarding two counts of possession of obscene materials. His bond was set at $2,000.
The Fox article continued:
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement [FDLE], in July 2023, Hamil was met by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection following a cruise, where he allegedly admitted to purchasing child sex abuse materials on the so-called “dark web.”
He also admitted to taking photos of children while on the cruise, and of taking photos of children at a YMCA Family Center in Winter Garden, where he also allegedly worked, according to FDLE’s report.
Officials did not charge Hamil at the time.
The Fox article also said the man previously worked at the YMCA as a part-time employee but was let go in August after the organization was informed about the investigation.
According to the YMCA, investigators said no victims from the YMCA have been identified in the case, per WESH:
When authorities visited the middle school on August 25 to interview the suspect, he claimed he had not taken any photographs of students at the campus and allowed them to look at his cell phone.
Officials allegedly found two images of a possible 12-year-old girl on his phone, but details regarding those photos were not reported by Fox.
“Hamil was arrested and booked into charges of possession of materials depicting sexual performance of a child,” the outlet said.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) defines child pornography as “a form of child sexual exploitation.”
“Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (persons less than 18 years old). Images of child pornography are also referred to as child sexual abuse images,” the agency said:
The expansion of the Internet and advanced digital technology lies parallel to the explosion of the child pornography market. Child pornography images are readily available through virtually every Internet technology, including social networking websites, file-sharing sites, photo-sharing sites, gaming devices, and even mobile apps. Child pornography offenders can also connect on Internet forums and networks to share their interests, desires, and experiences abusing children, in addition to selling, sharing, and trading images.
The attorneys general from all 50 states and four territories recently sent a letter to Congress “calling for the establishment of an expert commission to address the exploitation of children through AI-generated child pornography,” according to Breitbart News.
