CHARDON, Ohio (WJW) – A former substitute teacher for Kenston Local Schools pleaded guilty in a child pornography case on Monday, according to court records.
Michael J. Auria pleaded guilty to illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance, a felony of the second degree, a docket obtained by FOX 8 News said.
Additional charges in the case, including pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor and possessing criminal tools, have been dismissed, the docket said.
Back in March, an indictment returned by a Geauga County grand jury charged the 26-year-old with possessing child pornography and distributing it on a messaging app.
The investigation began when the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip from the National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children about Auria allegedly sharing illegal files online, prosecutors previously said.
Sheriff’s deputies conducted a search warrant at his Auburn Township home and confiscated his cell phone, investigators said.
As FOX 8 previously reported, Auria worked as a long-term substitute teacher in the Kenston Local School District until the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office informed the district of the investigation.
School officials said at the time that Auria was “immediately removed from campus.”
Investigators said the charges didn’t involve Kenston Local Schools students or kids in Geauga County.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, court records showed.
