Shoreham-Wading River teacher Mark Verity accused of trying to solicit indecent photos from a minor, Suffolk police say

A Shoreham-Wading River teacher was arrested and charged Friday after allegedly "attempting to solicit indecent photos" from an adult posing online as a 13-year-old girl, Suffolk police said.

The teacher, Mark Verity, 37, of Islip, had "inappropriate communications" with an online user posing as a teenager, Suffolk police said in a news release. These interactions allegedly included Verity "requesting indecent photos," police said.

Detectives arrested Verity around 9:35 a.m. Friday at the Mattituck home of a relative and charged him with first-degree attempted dissemination of indecent material to a minor, attempted use of a child less than 17 years of age in a sexual performance-sexually motivated, and attempted use of a child less than 17 years of age in a sexual performance, Suffolk police said.

He will be held overnight at the Sixth Precinct in Coram and arraigned Saturday at First District Court in Central Islip, police said.

It was not clear Friday if he was represented by an attorney. When reached by phone Thursday, before his arrest, a man answering to the name Mark Verity said he was in the process of retaining counsel.

In a letter sent to district residents Friday, Shoreham-Wading River schools Superintendent Gerard W. Poole called Verity's arrest "a deeply troubling situation for our entire community. The charges brought forward are heinous and deeply disturbing, and they stand in direct opposition to the values we uphold as a school district. Please be assured, that at this time, we have no reports of the allegations involving any of our students."

He added, "Currently, the individual is suspended, and we are continuing to work through our internal employment processes in accordance with district policy and applicable law. As this is a personnel matter, there are limitations to what we can share publicly, but please know that we are handling this situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency."

Verity's arrest comes two days after Poole informed the community in a separate letter that the Riverhead Police Department was investigating a teacher at Wading River School who was "caught on a livestreamed platform sharing disturbing remarks."

Riverhead town police confirmed they had been notified of an incident involving a teacher in the Shoreham-Wading River district and the case had been referred to Suffolk County police for further investigation.

In his initial letter to the community, which did not identify Verity, Poole said the teacher from the livestream "has been removed from the classroom and will not be permitted on school grounds pending the outcome of the investigation."

In a livestreamed video posted by a group identifying itself as Predator Poachers Long Island, a man identified as Mark Verity, a music teacher at Wading River School, was confronted over allegedly corresponding online with a girl he believed was 13 years old.

The Wading River School houses grades three through five, according to the district's website.

The investigation into Verity has not revealed any "evidence that any student was a victim," Suffolk police said. The school district is cooperating with the police department.

In a follow-up letter issued Thursday, Poole told the community that "the district does not have any prior reports or complaints about this employee."

Michael Villani, 29, the founder of Predator Poachers Long Island, said the group caught Verity after pretending to be a 13-year-old girl on an online social media platform. The group is dedicated to tracking child predators through sting operations.

“We pose as minors on social media in an effort to catch online child predators,” Villani told Newsday on Thursday.

On Friday, Villani said he was glad Verity was charged. “I am happy it happened so quickly,” he said.