Jeremy Schobel, a 33-year-old man from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release for a child exploitation scheme that involved posing as minor girls online.
According to court documents, Schobel, a former teacher at Harriton High School in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, and the High School of Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia, posed as different minor girls online for more than three years, creating extensive, fake profiles to deceive his underage victims into sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
Schobel was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses in June 2023 and indicted in November 2023. In March 2024, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and five counts of manufacture of child pornography. His conviction requires him to register as a sex offender pursuant to Megan’s Law in Pennsylvania.
“As a teacher, Jeremy Schobel was tasked with developing young minds,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “As a predator, though, he chose to deceive and sexually exploit underage girls online — often from his school classroom. Today’s sentence closes the book on Schobel’s years of catfishing and gives his victims a measure of justice. Protecting children from abuse will always be a top priority for my office and our partners at the FBI.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The 30-year prison sentence and 20 years of supervised release imposed on Schobel bring an end to a heinous crime that involved the exploitation of vulnerable minors. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting children from abuse and exploitation, particularly in cases where those in positions of trust are involved.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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