Former Teacher Admits to Possessing Child Pornography

NEWARK, N.J. – A former teacher admitted to possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Matthew Ozol, 40, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty before Judge Evelyn Padin to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In August 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s home.  Ozol’s text messages showed that since 2022, Ozol had sent and received messages on encrypted applications expressing a desire to sexually abuse children, including in a chat group titled “Baby Rapist.”  Law enforcement found more than 100 images and 75 videos on Ozol’s electronic devices depicting child pornography, including many involving sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.

The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.

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Defense Counsel:

Eric R. Breslin, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey

Sarah Fehn Stewart, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey