Nassau music teacher arrested, accused of receiving & distributing child sex abuse images
Michael Fazio had computer files with names depicting sexual acts on children as young as 7 years old, according to court documents.
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Parents in Westbury are reeling after shocking allegations surfaced against a music teacher at W.T. Clarke High School and Middle School. Michael Fazio, an educator in the East Meadow school district, was arrested by federal authorities and accused of receiving and distributing child sex abuse images.
According to federal investigators, Fazio is accused of possessing and sharing at least three explicit images depicting young girls—some as young as 7 years old—in sexual acts. The investigation began after a tip was received from the online file sharing company Dropbox, which reported the upload of illegal material in October of last year.
On April 30, authorities executed a search warrant at Fazio’s home in Huntington Station. He was arrested on May 15.
“My daughter was in two classes for the last three years with him, so I’m very concerned about that,” said Asad Abidi, a parent at the school. “He was the teacher of my daughter and we are very concerned about that.”
Federal prosecutors also allege that Fazio admitted to secretly recording and photographing female students from behind during music lessons.
In response to the allegations, East Meadow School District Superintendent Kenneth Rosner issued a statement assuring parents that Fazio has not been on school grounds since the district was first informed of the situation prior to the arrest.
Community members and advocates are expressing deep concern over the case. Laura Ahearn, executive director of the Crime Victims Center, noted that sexual predators can often remain undetected in trusted roles. “They can hide that behavior to a point where it’s undetectable from others and even the children in the classroom,” she said.
Fazio appeared before a federal judge and was released on $500,000 bond. As part of his release conditions, he is under home confinement and must live separately from his pregnant wife. Once their child is born in three months, he will be allowed only supervised visits with the baby.
