January 26, 2015

Former Teacher Sentenced to 210 Years for Sexually Exploiting Children

ORLANDO, FL—U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton. Jr. today sentenced Matthew C. Graziotti (43, Edgewater) to 210 years in federal prison for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography. The Court also ordered him to serve a lifetime of supervision following his release from prison and to forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit the crimes. Graziotti pleaded guilty on October 30, 2014.

According to court documents, Graziotti distributed 141 images and six videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children to an undercover FBI agent. During the execution of a search warrant, agents located thousands of child pornography images on Graziotti’s computer involving children under the age of 12. One computer folder, named “personally known,” contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of 29 children that Graziotti had sexually abused when they were under the age of 12. Graziotti stored the sexually explicit images that he produced in subfolders bearing each child’s name. He produced these images from 2010 through 2014. During this period, Graziotti taught elementary school in South Daytona and was the director of the school’s summer day camp program. He also coached youth sports.

“Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will remain vigilant to ensure our children are protected,” stated Michelle S. Klimt, Special Agent in Charge, FBI—Jacksonville Division. “Let this sentence be a clear message to others involved in this horrendous crime that exploits the most innocent among us. The FBI is committed to locating and removing sexual predators from kids’ lives through the U.S. justice system.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.