The whole city of Brooklyn is horrified to learn that a trusted member of the community, who was also a teacher at an upscale private school, has been sentenced to serve time in prison after inappropriately messaging minors from the school he worked at, as well as other schools in the area.

According to court records the 38-year-old male suspect decided to download the app Snapchat and create a fake identity for himself. He posed as a young teenage boy and began adding various children around the city as ‘friends’ on the app.

From there, the suspect, Winston Nguyen, would attempt to build up a rapport with these kids before starting to send nude images and videos of younger kids, claiming they were photos of himself. Then, he’d attempt to have the children send illegal material back to him. Court records show that these children were between 13 and 15 years old when the messaging occurred.

Before this incident, Nguyen worked as a teacher at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights. Nguyen is also a nationally recognized individual, as he appeared on the extremely popular TV show “Jeopardy!” in 2014.

Once the authorities caught on to the suspect’s criminal activities, he was promptly arrested. He was charged with one count of use of a child in a sexual performance as a sexually motivated felony for using the photographs of other children, and he was charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Nguyen admitted his actions and ultimately pleaded guilty to all charges. He expressed remorse over his behavior in a statement made by his attorney, Frank Rothman.

As a result of his guilty plea, he has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

Understanding Your Defense Options When Facing Sex-Related Charges

Sex-related charges in Brooklyn can lead to long-term consequences outside of the criminal sentence you receive. Registering as a sex offender, for instance, means that you’ll have to publicly list your name, address, and charges for years even after you’ve served your time and been released.

The types of places you can visit and the types of jobs you can hold will also be restricted based on your sex offender status. Your housing options might also be limited.

If you get convicted of a felony offense, then you’ll also face additional losses of rights after your release. That includes the loss of the right to vote, possess a firearm, and hold public office.

The best way to avoid all these consequences and penalties is to prevent a conviction from coming to pass if possible. To accomplish that, you’ll want to look for the best possible attorney to defend you as you face your charges in court. A good lawyer will help you identify your best options for minimizing your penalties and sentence. That could involve a plea deal, like in the case above, if prosecutors have a lot of evidence against you, but it might also involve pleading not guilty and fighting for your total freedom.

Schedule a confidential phone call consultation with our team of Brooklyn attorneys now to talk about your charges.