A former Atlantic City substitute teacher pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a minor in a child pornography case that has led to an independent investigation by the school district and a potential lawsuit.
Kayan Frazier, 28, signed the plea last July, but was only made official Thursday in a virtual hearing before a U.S. District Court judge.
The charge carries a term of 15 to 30 years in prison.
As part of his plea deal, Frazier will admit at his sentencing that he possessed, received and distributed images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The abuse of the minor child began in March 2017 and continued until his arrest in April of 2019, according to the plea.
But Frazier had possession of the victim and other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct going back to at least March 2015.
Within that time, Frazier worked as a substitute for Atlantic City's school until April 2017, when he was fired following allegations that he violated school policy by having a student sleep at his home. He then was found to be texting another 9-year-old student.
It was not clear if the child who was allegedly sleeping in Frazier's bed is the victim identified only at Minor 1 in court documents.
An investigation at that time by the Department of Child Protection and Permanency found no wrongdoing. Frazier even wound up getting a job there as a case worker.
He was still employed by the Division of Children and Families when he was arrested at his Somers Point home.
The investigation apparently began when images of child sexual abuse distributed via Tumblr were traced back to Frazier, who was observed at his home in the company of an underage boy.
Thousands of images were recovered on Frazier's cell phone and other electronic media, and included pictures taken in Frazier's apartment. He has agreed to forfeit electronical devices taken at the time of his arrest.
Frazier has been jailed since his arrest, going from county custody into federal custody as the charges increased.
Last year, the Board of Education ordered an independent investigation into how they were never notified about the issues that arose in 2017, and why the district didn't address the arrest two years later.
Frazier stopped being assigned to the Pennsylvania Avenue School in December of 2016, after the then-principal Dr. LaQuetta Small — Frazier's cousin — questioned him having a student sleep over his home, against school policy.
In February 2017, she reported the issue to Source4Teachers, who provided substitutes to the district.
At that time, she suggested he be barred from teacher at that school. But he continued to be assigned to other schools in the district for about a month.
Source4Teachers terminated him that April.
Frazier was supposed to plead earlier, but there were several postponements, including him being diagnosed with COVID, according to emails obtained by BreakingAC.
In addition to a prison term, Frazier also faces lifetime supervision as a sex offender and a possible fine of $250,000.
His sentencing is scheduled for June 8.
