Los Angeles-area teacher indicted for child exploitation offenses
LOS ANGELES - A teacher at Royal Oak Middle School in Covina, who was arrested last month by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) following an undercover sting in his classroom, was indicted Tuesday for child exploitation offenses.
John David Boyle, 49, of Glendora, who is detained pending trial based upon a court finding that he is a danger to the community, has been charged in a six-count indictment. The indictment charges Boyle with enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity over the Internet, which allegedly resulted in the molestation of a 14-year-old boy. Boyle has also been charged with advertisement of child pornography on the Internet, as well as distribution, receipt, attempted receipt and possession of child pornography.
"Crimes against children violate the most vulnerable among us," said U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. "This case demonstrates the need for constant vigilance – both online and in our schools – to protect our children and preserve our future generations."
After communicating with an HSI special agent in an Internet chat room, the teacher invited the investigator – who had been acting in an undercover capacity – to meet on school premises to view and trade child pornography.
According to the court documents, during the course of HSI’s investigation, Boyle allegedly engaged in online chats with an undercover investigator, believing the special agent shared his sexual interest in young boys. Boyle then set up an in-person meeting in his middle school classroom on Sunday, June 2, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity while watching child pornography. When the undercover investigator arrived for the meeting and presented Boyle with what he believed was a thumb drive containing child pornography, Boyle took possession of it. At that time, additional HSI special agents entered the classroom, interviewed Boyle, and seized his digital devices containing alleged child pornography. Shortly thereafter, Boyle was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with distributing child pornography. Upon further investigation, HSI special agents were able to identify a 14-year-old boy who was a victim of unlawful sexual contact with the defendant.
"We entrust teachers to serve as role models for our children and safeguard their welfare," said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. "HSI is particularly vigorous in pursuing these kinds of cases because our experience has shown that, in many instances, those who collect and distribute child pornography are also hands-on offenders."
Boyle is due in court July 11 for his post-indictment arraignment. If convicted of all of the charges in the indictment, he faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison.
Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call HSI’s toll-free tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or submit information using ICE's online tip form at http://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
A criminal complaint and indictment contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The ongoing investigation into Boyle is being conducted by HSI and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The probe is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.
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