Former Riverhead teacher Ryan McCaffery faces new charges of soliciting nude photos from minors online

A former Riverhead High School teacher is facing new charges related to alleged online chats with minors in which he solicited nude photos of them, authorities said.

Ryan McCaffery, 37, of Ridge surrendered Monday to New York State Police, about three months after being charged in February in Bergen County, New Jersey, when detectives said he allegedly posed as a teenager in an online chat room and requested nude photos from two children under the age of 13.

As a result of the ongoing investigation, McCaffrey was charged in Suffolk County Monday, police said. School officials said in both cases authorities indicated there was no involvement by students in the district or any connections he made as a teacher.

State police and Suffolk County prosecutors served multiple search warrants into online conversations McCaffery allegedly had in December. Police said he allegedly requested nude photos on Snapchat from victims under the age of 14 and was engaging in sexual acts while video chatting with victims on Snapchat.

He was charged on Monday with three counts of disseminating indecent material to minors, three counts of attempted use of a child in a sexual performance who is under 17 years old, promoting a sexual performance by a child under 17 and possession of sexual performance by a child, all felonies, state police said. He was also charged with three counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17, a misdemeanor, police said.

McCaffrey pleaded not guilty Monday on the 11 new charges in First District Court in Central Islip. A judge issued a temporary order of protection and released McCaffery with nonmonetary bail conditions, according to court records. 

McCaffery's attorney could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon. 

Riverhead Central School District officials said they notified parents of McCaffery's arrest Monday and had followed the charges in New Jersey in February. The former social studies teacher at Riverhead High School resigned in February, before the initial arrest, citing personal reasons, Newsday previously reported.

"We have again been informed that there is no current evidence that any of the New York charges are related to Mr. McCaffery's prior work as a teacher in the Riverhead Central School District or any interactions Mr. McCaffery may have had with any students in his classes or any other child in the Riverhead Central District," Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said in a letter to parents. 

In February, Bergen County prosecutors charged McCaffery with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, two counts of child endangerment and two counts of lewdness. He turned himself in to New Jersey authorities Feb. 14. 

He was scheduled to appear Thursday in a Bergen County Court for a pre-indictment conference, according to New Jersey court records.

The investigation started in January when police in Tenafly, New Jersey, reported the alleged online chat to the Bergen County Cyber Crimes Unit, prosecutors said.

Tenafly police, working with Bergen County prosecutors and the New York State Police Crimes Against Children Unit, served a search warrant at McCaffery’s home in Ridge, prosecutors said in February, where police recovered several electronic devices.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.