Former Boston teacher indicted for child exploitation
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A former Boston teacher is facing federal charges after allegedly enticing at least one girl to record child sexual abuse material of herself and send it to him.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said Friday that 35-year-old John Magee Gavin, of Brookline, had been indicted on charges of coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Gavin has worked as a teacher at Boston’s Josiah Quincy Upper School and at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School, in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood, where he taught sixth grade, prosecutors said. He also worked as a paraprofessional with Brookline Public Schools.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
According to officials, Gavin was allegedly identified in January as the owner of a Discord account who messaged at least 20 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 years old located throughout the country, including Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, as well as the United Kingdom and Canada.
In these chats, authorities allege that Gavin disclosed that he was a teacher while engaging in sexual conversations and often asking the minors to send him pictures of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct – knowing that the children were underaged.
Gavin was arrested by local authorities in February and charged in Brookline District Court with enticing a child under 16, possession of child pornography and other offenses.
Evidence seized from Gavin’s Brookline residence allegedly revealed more than 90 images and 50 videos on his iPhone depicting child sex abuse material, including the rape of both girls and boys, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old.
A further analysis of Gavin’s Discord account identified numerous chats in which he allegedly engaged in online masturbation sessions with underage girls, solicitated images from them, and participated in sexualized conversations with the minors while he was at school.
According to officials, the chats also allegedly included conversations in which Gavin expressed his sexual interest in certain students at Josiah Quincy, where he was a teacher. In one particular conversation, Gavin allegedly discussed his sexual interest in a freshman student at the school where he was employed and fantasized about having sex with her.
Gavin is currently in state custody on related charges. He’s scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Attorney information wasn’t immediately available.
Anyone with questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
Owner of Hanover children’s party venue charged with child sex crimes
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The owner of a children’s party venue in Hanover County is facing serious charges after being accused of sexually assaulting a child in his family.
Jerald-Dean Edward Miller owns “A Party Playhouse,” a business promoted as a premier party destination for kids of all ages. The venue, located in Mechanicsville, is now tied to alarming allegations against Miller. According to court documents, he’s charged with rape, object sexual penetration and sodomy of a female family member under the age of 13.
Owner of Hanover children’s party venue charged with child sex crimes
According to court records, the alleged abuse happened during the summer of 2024, but did not occur at the business. The child told investigators she was first abused by Miller in kindergarten. She reported that the abuse continued on multiple occasions during “movie nights” last summer.
Records show Miller was arrested on May 12.
Sergeant Steven Wills with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, said during the months-long investigation, new details came to light.
“There was an initial investigation that led to additional accusations, and then from there, we went into a grand jury, and there was a direct indictment that was issued for the suspect,” Wills said.
Miller was released on June 10 on a $50,000 bond. He is not allowed to leave Virginia, must wear a GPS monitoring device and is prohibited from having contact with the child. Earlier this year, court records show Miller was convicted of assaulting another family member in a separate case.
Wills emphasized the charges Miller currently faces, are not connected to customers of his business.
“We have absolutely no information to suggest this has anything to do with the business or is connected to any additional victims in any way,” Wills said.
He also encouraged parents and guardians to monitor their children for changes in behavior.
“Maybe they don’t spend as much time with family or friends and just withdraw from, you know, some of those social circles,” Wills said. “If they become very protective over devices and things of that nature, that could be a very big clue that maybe something is going on.”
Miller waived a trial by jury and is expected to appear in court on Nov. 6, for a two-day bench trial.
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