Former Southern California Elementary School Teacher Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

A former San Gabriel Valley elementary school teacher was arraigned Friday on federal charges of receiving and possessing child abuse material.

Steven Pilar, 47, of Las Vegas, was employed at a school in La Puente when he knowingly received and downloaded more than 400 videos and images of child pornography in 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

“This defendant, whose previous employment placed him in a position of trust with children, is accused of participating in an underground market that traffics in the sexual exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Protecting children from sexual predators is critical, and my office will be relentless in our efforts to bring those who commit these crimes to justice.”

Pilar was arrested earlier this month in Las Vegas on state charges, but the charges were later dropped and a federal lawsuit was filed, officials said.

On Friday, Pilar was indicted on a four-count federal indictment, two of which are receiving child pornography and two of possessing child pornography.

According to the Justice Department, if convicted, Pilar would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.