Former Brockport kindergarten teacher sentenced to 13 years in prison for child pornography
Press Release, United States Attorney’s Office – Western District of New York
ROCHESTER – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Roland Yockel, II, 31, of Hilton, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 13 years in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
The defendant was also ordered to pay $7,200 in restitution to victims and he will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Yockel was employed as a full-time kindergarten teacher in the Brockport Central School District and also held positions with the Town of Hamlin Recreation Department as a summer youth camp counselor, program assistant, health director, and camp coordinator. The defendant traded, received, and possessed approximately 6,000 images and videos of child pornography, including child pornography that depicted the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
In July 2017, the defendant was identified by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Special Agents in Phoenix involved in an ongoing child pornography probe with investigators from New Zealand. That investigation identified individuals who utilized the Internet based application “Chatstep.com” to receive and distribute child pornography.
On November 21, 2017, during the execution of a search warrant at Yockel’s Hilton home, Homeland Security Agents seized multiple devices from the defendant’s bedroom, which were later analyzed and found to contain recovered approximately 5,500 images and 247 videos of child pornography. Agents further discovered that Yockel engaged in online chats with other individuals trading child pornography in which the defendant pretended to be the father of two prepubescent girls. In those conversations, Yockel offered to allow other child pornographers to have sex with his supposed daughters, and talked about having sex with the other individuals’ children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Richard Allen, and the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, under the direction of Executive Director Deb Rosen.
