Former Freeport principal admits to sex abuse, misconduct

A former Freeport middle school principal admitted Friday to having sex with a 16-year-old boy and lying about his criminal past to keep his job, the Nassau district attorney's office said.

John O'Mard, 46, of Freeport, pleaded guilty to four felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual act involving the teen, prosecutors said.

He also pleaded guilty to offering a false instrument for filing, perjury and official misconduct.

In a plea agreement, O'Mard is expected to get 60 days in jail and 10 years of probation when he is sentenced Feb. 6. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, authorities said.

He was the principal of J.W. Dodd Middle School when he had nonconsensual sex at his home with the teenager, whom he met through Grindr, a dating website, authorities said.

O'Mard had been the school's principal since 2003 when his arrest in March 2013 set off a furor because records showed he had prior convictions -- for grand larceny in 1990 and petty larceny in 1987 -- and shouldn't have been hired.

An investigation by state education officials concluded he had gotten around state background checks by submitting someone else's fingerprints.

The district fired him five weeks after his arrest.

As part of Friday's guilty plea, O'Mard admitted lying about his criminal history on education certification applications in 2004 and 2006.

O'Mard's attorneys could not be immediately reached Friday evening.