Jacksonville, FL — A one-time IB program teacher at Terry Parker High School has now pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography online.
Jordan Schemmel changed his plea in federal court today, and now faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, and he may have a life term of supervised release.
Schemmel was first arrested in October, and he initially pleaded not guilty to the charge. The criminal complaint says Schemmel had used Kik and seen things that were illegal, but said he removed himself from those groups. He also allegedly admitted to using Grindr, but said he would report any user he didn't believe was over 18-years-old.
The criminal complaint says Schemmel did ultimately admit to sending a video to someone on Kik- who was actually an undercover agent. He also allegedly told investigators he had other images and videos of child porn on his phone. The US Attorney’s Office says a total of 106 images and 28 videos showing the sexual abuse of a young child were found on Schemmel’s phone and thumbdrive.
The court records show Schemmel said he knew child pornography was wrong, and he had tried unsuccessfully to stop himself, but he believed it was an addiction.
The criminal complaint says Schemmel previously taught in both Duval and St. Johns counties. At the time of his arrest, the Duval County Public School District said they would remove Schemmel from any contact with students pending the outcome of an internal investigation, if he were to be released from prison. DCPS says Schemmel resigned his position in January, pending disciplinary action.
Schemmel’s sentencing date is not immediately available.