Child Sex Crime Charges: Former Teacher Pleads Guilty

BROOKLINE, MA — A resident and former science teacher pleaded guilty in federal court to charges regarding inappropriate online communications with minors and child pornography, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

John MaGee Gavin, 35, was first indicted in July after authorities discovered was using the instant messaging and social media platform Discord to communicate with young girls between the ages of 12 and 17 from six different states, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. He officially pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to one count each of coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

The Attorney’s Office said that Gavin’s online communications with the minors included inappropriate video sessions, exchanges of photos, and conversations in which Gavin expressed his attraction toward specific students at Boston's Josiah Quincy Upper School, where he taught at the time. Nearly 150 files of child sex abuse material were discovered on Gavin’s iPhone, which reportedly included the sexual assault of both male and female minors between the ages of five and 17.

Before working at Josiah Quincy, Gavin was a sixth-grade teacher at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and a paraprofessional in the Brookline Public School District. His sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2026.

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Brookline Man Charged With Attempted Child Enticement And Transmission Of Obscene Material