Former Middle School Teacher Charged with Production and Receipt of Child Pornography

Gregory Francis Austin, 32, of Chesterfield Township, was arrested and charged today with production, receipt, and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

Ms. McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the criminal complaint, Austin was employed by the Fraser School District in 2005 as a band instructor and became a classroom teacher in 2006. On March 19, 2012, Austin was arrested by the Roseville Police Department for his involvement in a drug transaction. As a result of that arrest and further investigation, law enforcement searched his cell phone and discovered numerous images of suspected child pornography. Detectives also found inappropriate non-pornographic images of suspected minors, text messages that were sexual in nature that appeared to involve minors, and two pornographic videos, one of which depicted a minor. The images included both male and female minors.

The investigation was subsequently turned over to the FBI Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Taskforce who, with the assistance of the Fraser School District and the Fraser Police Department, reviewed a portion of the images found on Austin’s phone. Of the reviewed images, 12 were identified as known minors and students currently enrolled within the Fraser School District. Austin left the Fraser School District after his arrest in March.

The FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office is interested in any information related to Austin and his communications and contacts with minors. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 313-965-2323.

Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Roth and Kevin Mulcahy are prosecuting this case for the United States.