Two Former US Principals Plead Guilty to Child Porn Possession

Two former school principals have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to possession of child sex abuse material. Charles Thomas Boyd Defreitas, who worked over 13 years in the San Diego Unified School District and served as associate principal at Hoover High School, admitted to possessing over 600 images depicting minors, including at least one under the age of 12, and is scheduled for sentencing in August. He was initially charged in state court, but the case was taken over by federal prosecutors following reports of inappropriate contact with minors. Separately, John Mangan, former principal of Peter Cooper Elementary School in Ringwood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty after authorities found over 250 abusive images on his electronic device; he faces sentencing in October with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. Mangan has a prior history of sexual offenses involving minors, including a previous federal conviction and a 1997 charge for sexual assault of a minor. Both cases highlight ongoing federal efforts to hold educators accountable for child exploitation offenses.