South Florida teacher is fired after FBI says he sent child sexual-abuse videos

A South Florida teacher has been charged with sending and receiving videos of children being sexually abused, according to an FBI criminal complaint.

Patrick Conor Russell, 37, taught at Saint Andrew’s School, a private Episcopal boarding school in Boca Raton. He has been fired, the school said.

Russell, who was arrested at his Deerfield Beach home on Thursday, appeared in Fort Lauderdale federal court on Friday on charges alleging the possession and receipt of child sexual-abuse material. He’s being detained in a Broward Sheriff’s Office jail.

According to the complaint, the investigation into Russell began after FBI agents in the Cincinnati area executed a search warrant on another person, identified as “Subject 1,” as part of an investigation into child sexual-abuse material.

Agents said as they searched a device belonging to “Subject 1,” they found thousands of files of child sexual-abuse material and reviewed chats on the messaging app Zangi. They said they identified chats with a user going by the handle of “Jack C,” who was later revealed to be Russell.

Authorities said the two exchanged links involving “sexually explicit content involving minors,” and Russell made remarks expressing an interest in “teen boys and girls.”

According to the complaint, Russell discussed a sexual role-play scenario in which “Subject 1” was “a student in my high school English class” and expressed sexual desires for his students.

Authorities said a search of Russell’s phone indicated he participated in group chats dedicated to sharing child sexual-abuse videos.