Former La Puente Elementary School Teacher Indicted on Federal Child Abuse Charges

A former San Gabriel Valley elementary school teacher is facing federal charges for his involvement in possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Steven Pilar, a 47-year-old Las Vegas resident, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19, 2024, and is scheduled to be arraigned today in downtown Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

The indictment includes two counts of receiving child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography. Pilar was arrested in Las Vegas on August 2, where a federal magistrate ordered him jailed without bail. The indictments allege that Pilar knowingly received and downloaded more than 400 videos and images from CSAM via BitTorrent on February 8, 2020, and April 10, 2020, during his tenure as a teacher at La Puente Elementary School. He has since ceased working at the school. Emphasizing the seriousness of such crimes, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada stated, “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.”

Before the federal indictment, Pilar faced state charges that were dropped to allow for federal prosecution. The seriousness of the charges underscores a determined effort to crack down on those who exploit children. “Protecting children from sexual predators is critical, and my office will be tireless in our efforts to punish those who commit these crimes,” Estrada said.

The potential consequences of a conviction for Pilar are severe, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of 80 years. The FBI, along with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, are continuing to investigate the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua J. Lee of the General Crimes Section will prosecute the case, seeking justice for the alleged crimes.