Local

Forum for parents held after Volusia County teacher's child porn arrest

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Leaders of a Volusia County school and community social workers gathered for a forum Monday night following the arrest of one of the school's teachers.

Matthew Graziotti, a fifth-grade teacher at Warner Christian Academy, was arrested last Monday and charged with possessing and distributing child porn.

A week after Graziotti's arrest, the school partnered with several agencies to hold a forum to discuss the issue with parents. School leaders said they're confident none of Graziotti's alleged child pornography images are of students, but still want parents to be able to spot any potential signs of abuse.

The 43-year-old was employed at the school and around children for 10 years, so many parents were worried after learning of the arrest.

"I was panicked for my child being a student here, as any parent would be. I cried, I was sick to my stomach," parent Sarah Haynes said.

Federal authorities said they searched Graziotti's Edgewater home and found thousands of images of child porn on his computer, some of which was allegedly homemade.

More than 100 parents and community members attended Monday night's forum, where advocates went through a lengthy presentation that centered around spotting signs of abuse.

"How do you address being sexually violated with an 8-year-old who's into Transformers and cars? He's not even on the same realm," Haynes said.

Haynes said the FBI asked for two pictures of her son so they can compare them to the images allegedly found on Graziotti's computer.

"This is the hardest thing that I've ever, ever had to deal with and was absolutely and utterly shocked," school Superintendent Mark Tress said.

Tress told Channel 9 Graziotti has been suspended and will be fired from his position as soon as possible. He's being held as a federal inmate at the Seminole County Jail.