A Louisville religion school teacher is facing federal charges, accused of using student photos to create and distribute child pornography.
The Department of Justice announced Friday there is a warrant out for the arrest of Jordan Fautz, 39.
He's charged with distributing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and distributing child pornography. See his mugshot below:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4165e588.jpg
They said that the alleged incidents happened between December 2023 and January 2024, while he was employed as a seventh and eighth grade religion teacher at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic School. He also had maintenance duties at the school and had been working there for nine years.
WLKY spoke with a former student, who said she was shocked to find out about the news.
"I drove by, and I saw the police, and I was like, OK, that's a little weird. And then I saw on the Internet, and I was confused," Lillian Doyle said. "I was like, beside myself. I was like, 'This was my teacher.' Just all of the above. Like, it was-- it was crazy."
The DOJ said he was manipulating images, putting non-explicit photos of minors into sexual abuse materials , for example, photoshopping a student's face onto a nude female's body or morphing a face into a sexual video.
"It was like especially [upsetting] when I found out that there was AI involved ," she said. "It was crazy to me because he was my religion teacher, out of all things. My religion teacher."
An affidavit says at least two of the photos were taken from yearbooks, and others appeared to be for school publications . In some instances, they observed school logos on clothing and backgrounds.
Fautz is also accused of using people's real names and personal information, essentially doxing them.
The many victims appear to be somewhere between 8-17 years old , the documents say.
Officials said Fautz sent nearly 200 child pornography images and videos to an undercover cop.
The investigator said Fautz also sent folders with 100-plus non-pornographic images of mostly teen girls and 97 videos taken from TikTok and social media.
He's accused of sometimes sending the pornography while at the school.
Doyle said she didn't see any signs that Fautz would do something like this, that he was just "a nerd himself."
"Nothing really ever seemed like weird about him. He loved 'Ghostbusters,'" she said. "He was all about 'Star Wars,' you know. He was that type of person he would always tell us about, like the ghouls he had on his front porch and the 'Ghostbusters' stuff he had in his house and all this stuff."
Father Peter Bucalo posted a statement on the school's website, acknowledging the allegations, saying Fautz won't be returning to the school.
He said there will be a meeting with parents, including the Archdiocese and the FBI, on Saturday.
Doyle said her dad will be attending that meeting to make sure she wasn't one of the victims.
She said she hopes that whoever was victimized by Fautz is able to get justice and find peace for themselves.
"I know like the past few alumni classes, and I know like the classes that are there now," Doyle said. "I guarantee I know who it is, and it just breaks my heart."
As for Fautz, Doyle said she hopes his time in prison serves him well.
"I hope that [Fautz] realizes what he did is so disgusting and that he deserves to rot in prison," Doyle said.
Fautz was arrested and is being held at the Oldham County Detention Center, but the FBI is still seeking to identify other potential victims.
Anyone with information about Fautz is asked to contact the FBI at [email protected].
Fautz will be scheduled to make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, but it's unclear when.
If convicted, Fautz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and maximum potential penalties of 40 years in prison , a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system . The FBI is investigating the case.
What... what the hell is a religion teacher/religion school teacher?It's a Catholic school
Look at the man tits on this dude.
It's a Catholic school
It's a Catholic school
Is anyone surprised? Show of hands.
It's a Catholic schoolSo basically the bad guys from Spotlight.
3. Three guesses who this dipshit was going to vote for come November. And I'll spot you the first two guesses.
What... what the hell is a religion teacher/religion school teacher?A teacher who teaches about religion. What is your confusion?
3. Three guesses who this dipshit was going to vote for come November. And I'll spot you the first two guesses.What?
Catholicism and child abuse go hand in sticky hand.No? People who are messed up like this seek out jobs that work with children. Don't insult a religion.
No? People who are messed up like this seek out jobs that work with children. Don't insult a religion.
No? People who are messed up like this seek out jobs that work with children. Don't insult a religion.
No? People who are messed up like this seek out jobs that work with children. Don't insult a religion.Ha nah
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/14/2211804/-Republican-Sexual-Predators-Abusers-and-Enablers-Pt-49
You'll notice many of these examples include "Christians"
No? People who are messed up like this seek out jobs that work with children. Don't insult a religion.
1. Is anyone surprised? Show of hands.
2. They always look exactly how you expect them to.
3. Three guesses who this dipshit was going to vote for come November. And I'll spot you the first two guesses.
Ha nahI think it's the power that attracts these kind of crimes more than anything. Secular schools have creeps as teachers too. But it is more than fair to criticize the Vatican as in insitution for how poorly they have responded to sexual abuse claims, even so I can't condemn all of Catholicism for it when that includes millions if not billions of believers who have done nothing wrong.
It's obvious any kind of group of power will invite abuses including sexual abuse. Cathlocism is no different. My favorite YouTuber posts frequently about going to mass and the Vatican and being creeped out by his experiences.
So have they found a good use for this AI stuff or is it strictly illegal porn and defrauding people
"Nothing really ever seemed like weird about him. He loved 'Ghostbusters,'" she said. "He was all about 'Star Wars,' you know. He was that type of person he would always tell us about, like the ghouls he had on his front porch and the 'Ghostbusters' stuff he had in his house and all this stuff."
Why is it always a teacher, a religious figurehead or both?You forgot coach.
You forgot coach.Coaches could technically be considered teachers, but true.
I think it's the power that attracts these kind of crimes more than anything. Secular schools have creeps as teachers too. But it is more than fair to criticize the Vatican as in insitution for how poorly they have responded to sexual abuse claims, even so I can't condemn all of Catholicism for it when that includes millions if not billions of believers who have done nothing wrong.Secular systems don't deserve excuses either.
Why is it always a teacher, a religious figurehead or both?
I'm more surprised and disturbed by the method.
Religious figurehead inherently carries with it an air of chastity/piousness for people who belong to the church, so you're less likely to think "Oh is my kid actually safe with this person?" the way you would for a rando adult. And it's easier to be like "oh no if I report this I'm hurting the church not just getting justice for the person" or w/e.
What... what the hell is a religion teacher/religion school teacher?