Sentenced to nearly 6 years, ex-Jacksonville teacher said he fantasized about touching children
A former Duval County school teacher who said he fantasized about touching young children has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Michael Paul Gillis, 65, pleaded guilty on April 27 to possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. Thursday's sentence includes 10 years of supervised release and registration as a sex offender. He could have received up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors previously said.
Gillis was arrested on Feb. 2 by FBI agents at his home on Cap Ferrat Street, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He was a Duval County teacher from August 1991 to August 2007, according to district officials.
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FBI agents were looking into people who were using an online file-sharing network for child pornography when their investigation revealed Gillis had accessed it from his home, court records show. When agents searched his house, he told them he had “a couple hundred” contraband videos on his computer and had been accessing child sexual abuse materials for at least 15 years, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
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Gillis also confirmed he looked at and downloaded child pornography and child sexual abuse materials while working as a teacher. He said he never did anything in a classroom or school, his criminal complaint states. But he told agents he "would fantasize about touching children inappropriately" and was unable to stop the urge to view the material.
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The FBI seized several computers belonging to Gillis that contained at least 2,000 images and 210 videos showing infants, toddlers and other young children being sexually abused, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Gillis told agents he also deleted materials from his computers before they arrived with the warrant because "I know I shouldn't do it," acknowledging "it is illegal," court records said.
In the criminal complaint, Gillis also said he did not use social media to seek out children online.
dscanlan@jacksonvile.com, (904) 359-4549
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Former Jacksonville teacher sentenced for images of child sex abuse
