Former Boston teacher indicted, accused of engaging in online sex chats with minors

A former science teacher at Boston’s Josiah Quincy Upper School has been indicted on federal child exploitation charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

John Magee Gavin, 35, of Brookline, allegedly coerced or enticed at least one underage female into participating in sexual conversations online and requested child sexual abuse material from the female, authorities said. He is currently in state custody and was set to appear in Boston federal court Monday morning.

Gavin was indicted on three federal charges: coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

In January, he was reportedly identified as a Discord user who messaged at least 20 underage girls aged 12 to 17 residing in Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

In these messages, Gavin allegedly “disclosed that he was a teacher, engaged in sexual conversations, and often asked the minors to send him pictures of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct — knowing that the children were underaged,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In February, he was arrested and charged with enticing a child under 16, possession of child pornography, and other offenses in Brookline District Court. 

In a search of Gavin’s Brookline home, authorities allegedly discovered 147 files of child sexual abuse material on his phone — 94 images and 53 videos. “It is alleged that the CSAM depicted rape of both female and male minors, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old,” authorities said.

A search of Gavin’s Discord account revealed conversations where Gavin allegedly engaged in online masturbation sessions with the girls, solicited images from and exchanged images with them, and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them while he was at school, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“The chats also allegedly included conversations in which Gavin expressed his sexual interest in certain students at Josiah Quincy,” authorities said. “In one conversation, Gavin allegedly discussed his sexual interest in a freshman student at the school where he was employed as a teacher and fantasied about having sex with her.”

Previously, Gavin taught sixth grade at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and worked as a paraprofessional in Brookline Public Schools, according to court documents.

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