A Hudson Valley teacher who was also an elected official and mayoral candidate is heading to prison for predatory behavior with a student.

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Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday that 37-year-old Charles Hustis of Cold Spring was sentenced to five years in prison for attempted receipt of child pornography from a former student.

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“Charles Hustis used his social media account to persuade a minor victim and former student to meet with him and perform sexual acts. In doing so, Charles Hustis repeatedly solicited pornographic pictures from the victim. This predatory behavior was a betrayal of the trust that the Cold Spring community placed in Charles Hustis, both as a former teacher and as a public official," U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said.

Between at least on or about December 8, 2019, and December 16, 2019, Hustis, a former teacher and public official in Cold Spring, New York, communicated over Facebook Messenger with a 16-year-old victim, according to court filings. Hustis is also a former village trustee and mayoral candidate

During these communications, Hustis sent the teen sexual images, including photographs of himself, and attempted to arrange a meeting with teen with the understanding that Hustis and the victim would perform various sexual acts, officials say.

Hustis repeatedly requested pornographic pictures from the teen while arranging his planned meeting. The teacher was arrested by law enforcement officers on December 16, 2019, after he arrived at a meeting location that he had arranged with his former student expecting to bring the 16-year-old back to his apartment for sexual activity.

In addition to the prison term, Hustis was sentenced to seven years of supervised release. On November 19, 2020, he pled guilty to one count of attempted receipt of child pornography.

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