Teacher gets 6 1/2 years in prison for child porn

Kristen Harrison-Oneal

CONNECTICUT – John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DYLAN KOERNER, 29, of New Britain, formerly of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for soliciting, receiving and distributing child pornography.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2019 and October 2019, Koerner used a false identity and posed as a teenager on Kik, an internet mobile application, to solicit nude photographs from Kik users who were minor females as young as 12 years old.  He then traded those images with other Kik users to receive more images of child pornography.

On October 29, 2019, HSI agents executed a search warrant of Koerner’s residence and seized his cell phone, laptop and external hard drive.  Analysis of the seized devices revealed approximately 121 unique images, nine unique videos depicting child pornography, and numerous images and video depicting child erotica.


After earning his teaching certification in 2018, Koerner worked as an elementary school music teacher in Hartford, and as a substitute teacher at various elementary, middle and high schools in Connecticut.

On September 21, 2020, Koerner pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.

Koerner, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 4, 2021

This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

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