Teacher’s porn had kids ‘around the age of the children he daily has care, custody and control over'

By LENNY COHEN

OCKLAWAHA, Fla. (CohenConnect) – A middle school teacher is heading to prison after he was convicted of seven counts of possession of child pornography.

Michael Kozierowski was busted when his internet provider in Florida reported “child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to their online infrastructure from” Kozierowski’s IP address.

“Multiple law enforcement officers responded” to his home last Dec. 5.

A corporal from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office wrote about meeting Kozierowski at his front gate.

“I requested to view the content on his electronic devices to ensure there was no unlawful content contained on them,” the arrest report said. “The defendant immediately became visibly nervous; his hands began shaking and his voice inflection increased.

“The defendant reported that he was currently employed as a middle school teacher at Eustis Middle School and advised he would not allow law enforcement to view the content on his devices without a lawyer present.”

Kozierowski went inside but authorities wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The corporal decided “there was probable cause to obtain a search warrant,” so he and a detective “again made contact with the defendant, this time at the front door of his residence, and removed him from the area.”

That’s when another detective first “drafted and obtained a search warrant for the residence.”

Inside, they found a desktop computer, reportedly “sitting on a small table with only a bottle of lubricant next to it.”

A senior digital forensic technician reported finding 10 video files showing underage girls and said “many of the files had been recently downloaded and viewed.”

He also reported “a large amount of video and image files contained in compressed files on the physical storage of the computer.

“Due to the matter in which the other items were stored, further analysis of the devices ongoing and is expected to reveal substantially more CSAM [child sexual abuse material] on the computer.”

The corporal decided Kozierowski should be charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography and also be held without bond, writing the middle school teacher “possessed and viewed depicted children that are around the age of the children he daily has care, custody, and control over.

“The defendant’s release poses serious risk to the community due to his access to children and sexual attraction to them.”

Kozierowski was released a month later in lieu of $10,000 bond for each of the 10 charges, and he was ordered to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Prosecutors decided not to pursue 3 of the charges, writing in part, "the videos related to these charges are identical to videos..."Photo by(Jan. 5, 2024, Fifth Judicial Circuit)

Then, prosecutors decided not to pursue three of the charges, writing in an Announcement of No Information, “the videos related to these charges are identical to videos related to offenses that the State has charged.”

Kozierowski’s trial was set for April and then delayed until October, but there won’t be a trial.

Michael Kozierowski was arrested Dec. 6, 2023 (left). Then, he was adjudicated guilty and remanded into custody on Aug. 29, 2024.Photo by(Marion Co. Sheriff’s Office)

Last Thursday, Aug. 29, Kozierowski, 59, pleaded no contest to the seven charges and was sentenced to three years in prison, with a month and two days already served for each.

Also, he’ll have to register as a sexual offender when he’s released; plus, surrender his Florida education certificate and not reapply.

Kozierowski’s certifications in social science and exceptional student education were not set to expire until June 30, 2026.