Kindergarten teacher arrested, tells feds he’s addicted to child porn
BROCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) – Roland Yockel told federal agents he was addicted to child pornography, and admitted to viewing and distributing child porn from his home in Hilton, where lived with his parents. But even more terrifying than the charges he faces, is the constant access he had to children of the same age – as a kindergarten teacher and summer camp coordinator.
“It’s been less than 24 hours and law enforcement within that 24 hours has searched a home, seized devices, had extensive interviews with a kindergarten teacher who admitted to them that he was sexually interested in children and traded in child pornography,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi.
Federal, state and local law enforcement reacted quickly when they received a tip about Yockel, who since August, taught kindergarten at Ginther Elementary in Brockport.
That tip originated from investigators in New Zealand, who they said uncovered an active member of an online chatroom that deals child pornography.
“The internet has become a vehicle by which child porn is traded at an incredible rate and an incredible volume,” Rossi said. “They can find this material on the internet.”
They found Yockel at this home in Hilton, NY, where he lives with his parents, and they said, he confessed to disturbing crimes, outlined in a federal complaint released Tuesday.
Federal investigators said when they asked Yockel about his interest in child pornography, Yockel admitted that he had both received and distributed images and video from his parents house at 343 North Ave., using the website Chatstep.com and Yahoo messenger.
Agents also recovered DVDs from Yockel’s nightstand, and on them found videos, all of which depicted female children, approximately 5 to 8 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Yockel told agents he stole underwear from the backpacks of children who were participating in a summer camp where Yockel worked as a camp coordinator.
He also told agents that, while he was a coordinator, “he watched children in their bathing suits in the hope that they expose their intimate areas,” according to the complaint.
“Any time you have a criminal charge involving the sexual or other abuse of a child, it’s extremely severe,” Rossi said. “I can’t think of anything outside of homicide that is more important and deserves more attention than a case like this.”
Yockel told agents he often played games with a young girl in the care of his mother, and admitted to manipulating the child’s clothes so that he could “see her private parts when he picked her up,” according to the complaint.
While Yockel will likely remain in jail pending his court appearances, the investigation is continuing. Federal authorities say they will file additional charges if necessary.