Evan Michael Sands allegedly “engaged in numerous conversations with children under the age of 18, some under the age of 12,” authorities wrote in a complaint
Credit: Broward Sheriff Office
NEED TO KNOW
- A teacher at a Florida private school was arrested after he allegedly used Discord and Roblox to sexually entice minors
- After a tip was sent to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, investigators said they found that the suspect engaged in “numerous conversations with children”
- Evan Michael Sands faces two federal charges related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual behavior
A private school employee in South Florida has been arrested after being accused of being in possession of child sexual abuse material.
Evan Michael Sands, a teacher at The Randazzo School in Coconut Creek, was arrested on multiple charges on Thursday, April 23, after he allegedly used Discord and Roblox to entice minors into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos, according to local outlets WPLG and WSVN.
The investigation into Sands began when a tip was sent to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children and forwarded to the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in December, per a federal complaint cited by WPLG.
The tip allegedly pertained to two sexual abuse videos shared through Discord, a popular messaging app, that depicted girls around the age of 6.
After finding the videos in an account allegedly belonging to Sands, federal agents said they applied for search warrants and claimed that they discovered the teacher had been engaging in “numerous conversations” with minors.
“The Discord data revealed that Sands, using the username, astraldrag0n#0, engaged in numerous conversations with children under the age of 18, some under the age of 12, where he solicited the children to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves,” the complaint stated, per WPLG.
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Credit: Hannah Peters/Getty
Authorities also said that Sands sent the children explicit videos of himself while identifying himself “by name and address and his place of employment.”
Beyond uncovering the messages, the complaint stated that agents carried out a search warrant at Sands' home and pulled him over after seeing him leave prior to the raid, per WPLG. After searching his phone, agents allegedly found more videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as 12 years old.
During an interview with authorities, Sands allegedly admitted to having sent explicit content on Discord since 2021 and enticing children by giving them “Robux,” the virtual currency for the online game platform Roblox.
He is now being held in the Broward Sheriff's Office Main Jail facility and faces two federal charges related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual behavior.
Following Sands' arrest, administrators at The Randazzo School told WPLG that he would not be returning to work at the school, emphasizing that they were “shocked and saddened by this development.”
“We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as their investigation continues,” they continued in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. Based on the information the U.S. Marshals provided, there is no evidence that any of our students were involved or affected.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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