A former middle school teacher in Florida has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography. Ryan Hamil, 22, was taken into custody after authorities discovered explicit material on his cellphone. The documents obtained from FOX 35 Orlando reveal that Hamil faces charges for possessing materials depicting the sexual performance of a child and was subsequently detained on a $2,000 bond. The incidents came to light when Hamil was employed as a teacher at Water Spring Middle School in Winter Garden before being terminated in late August. In response to the allegations, the school district promptly sent a letter to parents stating that they took the matter seriously and would cooperate fully with investigators. The letter further advised that law enforcement may contact families to obtain statements from students.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports that Hamil was interrogated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers after returning from a cruise in July. During the questioning, he admitted to taking photographs of children on the cruise and buying child sexual abuse materials from the dark web. The arrest warrant indicates that the photos he took focused on the children’s genitals. Additionally, Hamil confessed to taking similar pictures at the Winter Garden YMCA, where he was employed part-time. Subsequently, the YMCA terminated his employment once they were made aware of the allegations. In a statement, the YMCA asserted that the individual no longer works for them and that they will fully cooperate with the authorities during the investigation.
During his arrest, Hamil denied taking any pictures of students at Water Spring Middle School. Nevertheless, when detectives searched his phone, they discovered two explicit pictures of a preteen. Described in the arrest warrant, the girl appeared to be under the age of eighteen based on her child-sized limbs and facial features. Authorities are currently conducting an ongoing investigation into the case, and no further information is available at this time.