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Christopher O’Sullivan, 32, in October 2020 pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of production of child pornography, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
Court documents allege that over the course of several weeks in June and July 2019, O’Sullivan sent a series of "sexually suggestive" text messages to a 12-year-old boy in an effort to coerce the boy to send sexually explicit photos of himself, Williams said.
Eventually, the child succumbed to the pressure set forth by O'Sullivan and sent him a picture of his genitalia, Williams said.
The boy's parents ended up finding the sexually explicit messages on his phone and contacted authorities, who later found the same photo on O'Sullivan's phone.
“O’Sullivan held one of the most sacred positions of trust in our society, a molder of young minds – a teacher,” Williams said.
“Schools must be safe havens for children. For this defendant to abuse his position by targeting and manipulating a student for his own perverse gratification is almost unimaginable. As always, we stand ready with our federal partners to identify and prosecute individuals that perpetuate this type of child abuse.”
“What a betrayal by Christopher O’Sullivan,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.
“He went from teaching a classroom full of kids to eagerly manipulating and sexually exploiting a vulnerable young boy. O’Sullivan is now being held responsible for his predatory behavior, locked behind bars so he can’t target anyone else’s child.”
O’Sullivan is also facing 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $5,200 restitution by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quinones-Alejandro.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan
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