A Massapequa High School teacher was arrested and charged with transportation and possession of child pornography, according to federal authorities.
Joseph M. Zanco, 43, of Massapequa, was taken into custody on May 25, 2024 and will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields.
The charges stem from an investigation that began when Google flagged hundreds of images of child pornography uploaded to Zanco’s Google Drive storage feature. Google suspended Zanco’s account and notified law enforcement, who obtained search warrants for Zanco’s residence and Google account.
The search of Zanco’s Google account uncovered child pornography, and the search of his laptop computer and cell phone revealed additional images and videos of child pornography.
According to court filings, Zanco began uploading the images on April 13, 2018, while he was employed as a teacher at Massapequa High School.
If convicted of the transportation of child pornography count, Zanco faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The charges against Zanco are part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division, with Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Maffei in charge of the prosecution.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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