Crime & Safety

Former MKA Teacher Pleads Guilty To Porn Charge

Brian Stern posted images of very young children being restrained and sexually abused.

 

A former seventh grade science teacher and swim coach at Montclair Kimberley Academy admitted today to making available images and videos of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused—sometimes violently—to others over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Brian Stern, 35, of Montclair—who taught at MKA for nearly eight years before being terminated in May 2011—pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography in a Newark federal court.

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Until May 2011, when he was arrested, Stern downloaded and posted videos and images of child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing software, through which others had access to the material on a shared drive, according to court documents.

Stern admitted that his offerings included images of numerous children younger than 12 and depictions of sadistic and violent conduct. The images downloaded by federal investigators and found on Stern’s computer included pictures of even very young children being restrained and sexually abused.

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As part of his guilty plea, Stern agreed to forfeit the computer and computer accessories, which he used to commit the offense. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The receipt and distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 24, 2012.

In May 2011, MKA Headmaster Tom Nammack said that Stern had been terminated and that his lease for school housing had been cancelled as well.

At the time, Nammack said that there was "absolutely no evidence of any inappropriate or illegal activities having taken place with MKA students, or on the MKA network."

Additionally, he said that school network filters not only make the downloading of illegal materials extremely difficult, but also any attempts to do so are a matter of record.

Stern had taught at MKA from 2003 until 2009. He then traveled overseas for several months before returning to the school in September 2009.

According to the website www.ratemyteachers.com, Stern was fairly well liked by his students at the time of his arrest. As one student wrote, "good teacher ... seems to care about us even though we talk a lot. Has high expectations but is fair."

Montclair Kimberley Academy is one of the largest co-educational Pre-K - 12 independent day schools in New Jersey, located on three age-appropriate campuses.


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