'Unthinkable acts' says prosecutor
Castaldo, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the evidence proved Bernagozzi committed "unthinkable acts" against two young boys and others, including a photographed child.
"Those photos were kept in this defendant's home for decades" among thousands of images of other students, often shirtless.
He [kept the photos] for his own devious sexual interest," Castaldo said. "There were no photos of this defendant with people his own age."
Castaldo said the memory of the abuse has "sadly never faded" for the victims. "This defendant stole the innocence of young boys who should have been safe in his company."
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
