Rabbi Lyle Kamlet was arrested Friday and charged with one count of receiving child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of possessing child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Both counts also carry a maximum fine of $250,000.

The 62-year-old allegedly purchased child porn DVDs on the Internet and had them mailed to the Westchester Day School, the coed Modern Orthodox school where he worked for about thirty years, the JTA reported.

Kamlet left the school in February 2012.

Monday, Westchester Day School’s Head of School Joshua Lookstein, the day school's president, and its board chairman sent a joint email to parents notifying them of Kamlet’s arrest.

“As far as we know, during his tenure, the school had no information and had received no complaints concerning his involvement in any illegal activities. Since his resignation, Westchester Day School has not provided any references or recommendations for Kamlet,” the email read, raising the possibility that the school, despite its apparent denial, may have known of Kamlet’s activity at the time he resigned from the school.

Kamlet maintains his innocence.

“We are going to vigorously contest these charges in court,” Kamlet’s lawyer, James Roth, reportedly said.

School officials reportedly say they have been cooperating with federal law enforcement authorities since April 2013. The school also said that it did not share information about the case with parents or others before now because the US Attorney’s Office asked them not to.

“We did not believe that any of our current students were at risk,” the school officials wrote in their email to parents.

Kamlet allegedly purchased at least 23 DVDs from a Canadian production company between 2008 and 2010, some of which were found in his home during a May 2013 raid. Those videos reportedly show nude boys between the ages of 10- and 14-years-old wrestling, boxing, doing gymnastics, bathing and showering. Many 8mm home videos of boys showering and dressing in locker rooms were also found in his home during the raid.

Kamlet allegedly admitted purchasing DVDs, describing them and the home videos as his personal “sexual preference.”

read full article at source: http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2015/02/modern-orthodox-rabbi-educator-arrested-for-child-porn-345.html