A former science teacher at Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston was sentenced on Mar. 11 to 10 years in federal prison for coercing and enticing an underage female to engage in sexual conversations online and requesting that she produce and send child sexual abuse material of herself.
The sentencing highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address child exploitation cases involving educators. The defendant, John Magee Gavin, 35, of Brookline, also previously worked at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and with Brookline Public Schools. He possessed material depicting the rape of minors ranging from approximately five to 17 years old.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV imposed a sentence of 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Gavin pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count each of coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 and remains in custody.
Court filings revealed that Gavin used a Discord account to message at least 20 underage females between ages 12 and 17 across several states as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. In these chats, he disclosed his occupation as a teacher, engaged in sexual conversations, and solicited explicit images from minors while knowing their age. Authorities arrested him in February 2025 after charging him with enticing a child under 16, possession of child pornography, among other offenses.
A forensic review found approximately 147 files on Gavin’s iPhone depicting child sexual abuse material involving both female and male minors. Further analysis showed he engaged in online masturbation sessions with minors, exchanged images with them, and discussed his sexual interest in students at Josiah Quincy Upper School.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said valuable assistance came from the Brookline Police Department; Tennessee Bureau of Investigations; and Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat child exploitation nationwide.
