A 27-Year-Old Chicago Teacher Charged with Child Pornography Offenses
A 27-year-old Chicago Public Schools teacher, Jaron Woodsley, has been charged in federal court with receiving and distributing child pornography online, as revealed in a criminal complaint that was unsealed recently. According to federal prosecutors, Woodsley utilized the encrypted messaging app Telegram last fall to exchange explicit material with a Colorado man who was under FBI investigation.
During a span of four days in September, Woodsley allegedly sent at least 13 videos of child sexual abuse material and received six videos in return, one of which reportedly depicted a 3-year-old boy that the Colorado man had access to. Shockingly, Woodsley asked the other man if he had any boys and made disturbing comments about the explicit content they were sharing.
Woodsley, originally from Trinidad and Tobago and a lawful permanent U.S. resident since July 2024, was taken into custody on Thursday morning following the investigation.
Investigators were able to trace Woodsley’s Telegram account to a T-Mobile number registered in his name and observed him traveling from his residence on the Near South Side to the location of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, where he was employed.
Although Fulton Elementary School’s website still listed Woodsley as a teacher, his photo and biography had been removed as of Friday. The complaint mentioned that Telegram, previously resistant to law enforcement requests, began providing subscriber information in September 2024, aiding in the identification of Woodsley.
If convicted, Woodsley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with a maximum of 20 years. It is important to note that a complaint is not evidence of guilt, and Woodsley is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
Federal officials encourage individuals who suspect they may have been victims of sexual exploitation to reach out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at missingkids.com or call 1-800-843-5678 for assistance.
