LI teacher sentenced in child porn case
Island Trees Middle School teacher Richard Hartig. Credit: Undated / Handout
A federal judge Wednesday sentenced a former middle school teacher to 6 years in prison for trafficking in child pornography.
Richard Hartig, 45, has spent the last 27 months in jail awaiting sentencing since his arrest in 2009 for sending child pornography to an undercover federal agent he met online.
He faced a maximum of 14 to 20 years, his attorney said. The former longtime science teacher at Island Trees Memorial Middle School pleaded guilty in April 2010 to one count of trafficking in child pornography.
His attorney, Melville-based Anthony Colleluori, said he was disappointed with the sentence and will appeal.
During the hearing in Central Islip, Colleluori pleaded with U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bianco to give Hartig a lighter sentence. He said his client is remorseful, has ties with the local community and while in custody helped authorities nab two men in California and one in Brooklyn who were actively abusing children.
Before his sentencing, Hartig, of Lindenhurst, choked up a couple of times, telling the judge he was sorry but would respect Bianco's decision.
"I've had over two years to contemplate both the seriousness of the crime and the fact that this situation is of my own making," Hartig said.
Bianco told Hartig he believed his remorse was genuine and he acknowledged Hartig's "extraordinary cooperation." But he said he felt that 6 years was fair due to the nature and circumstance of the offense.
Bianco said Hartig had 300 video files and 4,500 digital images of child pornography in his computer that was "extremely graphic." Many of the children were under age 12.
He said Hartig was sharing the images with people actively abusing children and that in itself "warranted a substantial punishment."
Hartig also faces 5 years supervised release after he gets out of prison and will have to register as a sex offender.
He will not be allowed to associate with anyone under 18 and must participate in a mental health program as part of treatment for sexual disorders.
He was arrested in June 2009 on charges that he sent the undercover federal agent a video depicting a 6-year-old boy in October 2008.
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