Orlando, Florida – In a shocking case of child exploitation, Edgewater teacher Matthew C. Graziotti (42) has been arrested and charged with producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
If convicted, Graziotti faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, up to 30 years for the production charge. For the receipt and distribution charges, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years, up to 20 years for each. The maximum penalty for the possession charge is 10 years in federal prison.
Graziotti made his initial appearance in federal court today and was detained pending a preliminary hearing on July 24, 2014, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Thomas B. Smith.
According to the criminal complaint, Graziotti distributed 141 images and 6 videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children to an FBI agent, who was acting in an undercover capacity. During the execution of a search warrant earlier today, agents located thousands of child pornography images on Graziotti’s computer.
One folder on the computer was named ‘personally known.’ The folder contained 41 subfolders titled with different boys’ names. In one of the subfolders, agents located a picture of Graziotti sexually abusing a prepubescent boy. The picture was produced with a digital camera that agents found in Graziotti’s residence.
The investigation revealed that Graziotti teaches elementary school in South Daytona, and is director of the school’s summer day camp program. He formerly worked as a youth pastor at a church in Edgewater.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Edgewater Police Department, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
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