Authorities: Former teacher secretly videotaped boys in bathroom at camp
VINELAND, N.J. (WTXF) - A former Vineland elementary school teacher is facing charges for allegedly manufacturing child porn after he allegedly filmed boys in the bathroom at a summer camp.
Thomas Guzzi Jr., 38, who was a stage manager for a summer theater camp was indicted Friday on charges that he possessed hundreds of files of child pornography and allegedly manufactured child pornography by hiding a camera in restrooms at the theater camp to record underage boys, according to New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.
Guzzi was formerly a 5th-grade teacher at the Winslow Elementary School and was an advisor and stage manager for youth productions at the school and the Broadway Theatre of Pitman.
He allegedly captured images and videos of teenage boys urinating in restrooms at the summer theater camp in Pitman.
According to police, Guzzi had separate computer folders to store images and videos of certain boys, and he created photo montages of two underage boys that mixed photos of their faces with photos of them urinating with their genitals exposed.
He also allegedly created a music video of one of those two boys that had images and video footage of the boy urinating edited together with video recordings of him dancing in rehearsals for the summer musical production.
Guzzi was arrested last year in "Operation Safeguard," a child pornography sweep conducted by multiple agencies, and he was terminated by the school district. His teaching license was revoked after his arrest.
On December 7, Guzzi was charged with manufacturing child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and other related charges.
The indictment was sealed until today while further investigative steps were taken.
Guzzi was re-arrested Friday on a warrant based on the indictment and is being held in jail pending a detention hearing.
Michael McCarthy, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Newark said in a statement,
"Those who think they can engage in these kinds of heinous activities and escape justice by hiding in cyberspace should be forewarned that HSI has the tools and experts at its disposal to protect our children from those who seek to sexually exploit them," said Michael McCarthy, "We owe it to the young victims in these cases, who will carry the emotional and physical scars of these crimes with them for the rest of their lives, to bring these individuals to justice."