A teacher in New York allegedly shared with an undercover FBI agent pretending to be a 13-year-old girl that he prefers underage girls, and that he apparently had sex "with a 10th grader once."
Kostas Fekkas, 34, taught at a charter school in Manhattan when he was arrested on September 14, according to Fox News. He had also worked at several other schools in the Bronx and Westchester County, New York. Investigators apparently found graphic sexual messages and child pornography from a 12-year-old girl that were hidden on an app that was made to look like a calculator.
As a result, a three-month undercover sting was carried out.
An undercover FBI agent, who went by the fake name "Riley," reportedly messaged Fekkas, saying "I'm in 8th (grade)." Fekkas replied, saying that "I usually cut off at 9th grade but you're insanely gorgeous."
Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that "Kostas Fekka's alleged conduct is despicable," adding that he "was entrusted with the care and well-being of children, who he in turn allegedly sought to victimize."
The app that Fekkas used to conceal the illegal material was HideU, which allows users to conceal files on a cellphone disguised as a functioning calculator. The former teacher introduced himself on the app Kik as "C.J. Justice," a 30-year-old man who teachers physics in high school. The account was linked to the email address kfekkas@mercy.edu.
Fekkas apparently sent photos of himself to "Riley," which matched publicly available images that were later discovered on a Manhattan high school's website. The images and alleged message exchanges between Fekkas and "Riley" were included in the criminal complaint.
Fekkas eventually pushed the 13-year-old to send nude photos. However, the FBI agent behind "Riley" sent a photo of a girl's face, and Fekkas allegedly responded, "Like I'd make out with you all day lolllll (sic)." Fekkas went on to allegedly say that he wanted "Riley" to "be super comfortable before you show me more of your face and before I get to see your body."
The report mentioned that between December 20 and December 25 of 2022, Fekkas allegedly sent explicit photos of himself to "Riley" and asked if she would engage in sexual activities with him. The exchanges reportedly became more graphic as time passed.
Fekkas is currently being charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory sentence between five and 20 years for each count, if convicted. He is also charged with attempted transfer of obscene material, which could carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
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