Former teacher sentenced in child porn case

By Daily Record Staff
Posted: 4:24 am Fri, January 14, 2011

Joseph T. Sautter, 38, of Blasdell, has been sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to 48 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

Sautter was convicted of possession of child pornography. Assistant U.S. Attorney  Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, said Sautter was a teacher for the Dunkirk Public Schools teaching English as a second language to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. An investigation began when the district’s superintendent contacted the FBI after suspected child pornography was discovered on a school computer that Sautter had used. Additional child pornography was found on Sautter’s home computer. In total, authorities determined that the defendant possessed almost 1,500 images of child pornography.

Skretny told Sautter he abused the trust of the school and the families of the students in the district. Sautter relinquished his teaching license as a result of this case.

The case was brought as part of the national Project Safe Childhood initiative.