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Teacher allegedly hid camera in boy's room at a Gloucester County theater camp to make child porn

Thomas Guzzi Jr., 38, of Pitman, also is charged with possessing hundreds of images of child pornography.

A former elementary school teacher has been indicted on charges of making child pornography by hiding a camera in the boy's rest room at a Gloucester County theater camp where he was an adviser and stage manager for youth productions, officials said Friday.

Thomas Guzzi Jr., 38, of Pitman,  also was charged with possessing hundreds of images of child pornography, state Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a statement.

Guzzi, who taught fifth grade at Winslow Elementary School, was among those arrested last year in a swoop dubbed "Operation Safeguard."

The indictment was kept sealed until Friday because the investigation remained open, Porrino said. Guzzi was rearrested on Friday and jailed pending a detention hearing.

Officials said the 10-count indictment against Guzzi alleges, among other things, that he used three hours of footage recorded in the restroom at the Broadway Theater in Pitman during the summer camp program to create a collection of photos and a music video depicting boys' genitals.

"Guzzi allegedly stalked underage teenage boys for his sexual gratification, using a hidden camera to invade their privacy and capture images that he used to create child pornography," Porrino said. "Guzzi's alleged heinous conduct highlights the alarming fact that child predators often seek positions in which they are entrusted with the supervision of children, only to betray that trust by sexually exploiting vulnerable young victims."

Officials believe there may be more victims and asked that if  anyone suspects one to contact the Attorney General's Office.

The charges against Guzzi include eight second-degree felony counts and two third-degree counts. The second-degree counts each carry a prison term of 5 to 10 years while it is 3 to 5 years for each of the third-degree offenses.

Guzzi's attorney of record, Edward Crisonino, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.