John Magee Gavin, 35, a former science teacher at Josiah Quincy Upper School, was sentenced Friday, March 13, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for coercing at least one underage girl into sexual conversations online and creating child sexual abuse material.
Gavin previously taught at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and worked as a paraprofessional in Brookline. He pleaded guilty in December 2025 to coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He was indicted in July 2025 and remains in federal custody.
Investigators found that Gavin used a Discord account to contact at least 20 underage girls, ages 12 to 17, in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. He shared that he was a teacher, had sexual conversations, asked for explicit images, and took part in online sexual activity with minors while at school.
Authorities seized 147 files from Gavin’s home, including images and videos of abuse involving boys and girls ages five to 17. Court records also show he discussed sexual interest in certain students at Josiah Quincy.
