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A South Florida private school teacher is facing federal charges after FBI agents raided his Deerfield Beach home Thursday, accusing him of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material and discussing plans to solicit explicit photos from his own students.
Patrick Conor Russell, 37, taught at Saint Andrew's School, a private Episcopal boarding school located at 3900 Jog Road in Boca Raton. School officials confirmed he has been terminated and is barred from campus, school property, school events, and any contact with students or staff.
The sexual misconduct case against former school teacher Patrick Russell originated in the Cincinnati area, where FBI agents executed a separate search warrant on an unidentified individual — referred to in court documents as "Subject 1" — as part of a broader child sexual abuse material investigation.
While searching Subject 1's device, agents discovered thousands of files of child sexual abuse material and reviewed conversations conducted through the messaging app Zangi. Among those chats, agents identified exchanges with a user operating under the handle "Jack C," who was subsequently identified as Russell.
According to the federal complaint, Russell and Subject 1 exchanged links to sexually explicit content involving minors. Russell also allegedly made remarks expressing sexual interest in "teen boys and girls."
Court documents paint a disturbing picture of the conversations Russell allegedly engaged in. He reportedly discussed a sexual roleplay scenario in which Subject 1 played the role of a student in his high school English class and expressed sexual desires about his actual students.
Agents said Russell further discussed his dual role as a teacher and coach, and sent Subject 1 apparent photos of boys attending his school, making sexually explicit comments about them — describing two students as "two cuties I know."
Russell allegedly expressed a desire to find someone who could manipulate his students into sending nude photos. Agents also said he described touching students' bodies during stretching exercises in his coaching role.
Investigators further said both Russell and Subject 1 were members of a group chat dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse content.
Agents took Russell into custody as he left his Deerfield Beach home Thursday. During the subsequent search of his home and devices, Russell reportedly told agents he had been "battling this for a while."
FBI Special Agent Kristin Chandler wrote in the complaint that while Russell claimed he had never touched a minor inappropriately, "he admitted to engaging in inappropriate conversations about minors, some of which were sexual in nature." A search of his phone further indicated he had remained active in group chats used to distribute child sexual abuse videos.
Russell was scheduled to appear in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning on two federal charges related to the possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material. As of Friday afternoon, he was being held at the Broward Sheriff's Office Main Jail facility on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Head of School Ethan Shapiro sent a message to the school community following the arrest, stating in part: "We have terminated Mr. Russell's employment, and he is not permitted to return to campus, access any school equipment or property, attend any school events, or interact with any students or employees."
Shapiro added that the school would continue cooperating fully with law enforcement and directed parents with concerns to contact Saint Andrew's School Chief Safety Officer Rob Adams.
"Our greatest responsibility is and always will be the safety, security, and well-being of all of our students," Shapiro wrote.
The factual information above was sourced from local10.com as of June 1, 2026.
The attorney commentary below is not specifically about the case reported above. Attorney commentary provided is information about these types of cases in the justice system.
When a school employee faces charges of sexual misconduct, the criminal case that follows is only one part of a larger legal picture. For families trying to understand what comes next, the civil justice system offers a separate and equally important path to accountability. We sat down with Miami sexual abuse attorney Michael Haggard to discuss what boarding school abuse victims and their families need to know about their legal rights in Florida.
Editor Darla Medina: When a private or boarding school teacher is accused of sexual abuse or misconduct, what legal options do victims and their families have beyond the criminal process?
Attorney Michael Haggard: The criminal case and the civil case are two completely separate tracks. Families don't have to wait for a criminal conviction to file a civil lawsuit. In Florida, victims can bring civil claims against both the individual accused and, in many cases, the institution itself. Schools have a legal duty to protect the children in their care, and when they fail to do that — whether through negligent hiring, inadequate supervision, or failure to act on warning signs — they can be held financially accountable.
Medina: Can a private school be held liable even if administrators were unaware of what was happening?
Haggard: Absolutely. Ignorance is not a legal shield. Florida law holds institutions to a standard of reasonable care. If a school failed to conduct proper background checks, ignored complaints, or created an environment where abuse could go undetected, that can form the basis of a negligence claim. Private schools are not exempt from this responsibility simply because they operate outside the public school system.
Medina: What should a family do if they believe their child may have been victimized?
Haggard: The first step is to contact law enforcement if they haven't already. After that, they should speak with an attorney who handles sexual abuse cases before speaking with the school's legal team or insurance representatives. Schools and their insurers have their own lawyers working immediately to protect the institution's interests. Families deserve someone in their corner doing the same for them and their child.
Medina: Is there a time limit for filing a civil lawsuit in Florida?
Haggard: Florida has made significant changes to its statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases in recent years. For cases involving intentional misconduct, there are additional considerations. The bottom line is that families should not assume it is too late without first speaking to an attorney, because the law has become more protective of survivors over time.
Medina: What would you say to a parent who is hesitant to come forward?
Haggard: Coming forward is one of the hardest things a family can do, and that hesitation is completely understandable. But civil litigation serves a purpose beyond financial compensation. It creates accountability. It forces institutions to answer hard questions about what they knew and when. And it can drive the kind of policy changes that protect the next child. No family should feel alone in this process.
If you or someone you love has experienced sexual abuse at the hands of a teacher or school employee, you do not have to face this alone. Our team offers free, confidential consultations to survivors and their families. There is no obligation, no pressure, and no cost to finding out where you stand legally. Call us today or fill out the form below — because the first step toward accountability starts with a single conversation.
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