Ex-East Meadow music teacher Michael Fazio sentenced to 19 months in prison after pleading guilty to child porn possession charges

A former East Meadow music teacher who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography last year was sentenced to 19 months in prison Wednesday by a federal judge in Central Islip.

Michael Fazio, 41, faced 6½ to 8 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, but U.S. District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury said the prison term she imposed was because Fazio, who did not have a prior criminal record, was not involved in the production or distribution of child porn. She said the sentence was consistent with prison terms for defendants convicted of similar crimes on Long Island and New York City in recent years.

“All child pornography cases are serious cases,” Choudhury said. “But this case is not the most serious. Mr. Fazio is not the most serious child pornography offender.”

Choudhury also sentenced Fazio, of Bellmore, to  5½ years of supervised release after he serves his prison term. He will have to register as a sex offender as a result of the guilty plea.

Fazio expressed regret for his crime and said he has pursued mental health counseling for what his attorney, Dennis Lemke, of Mineola, described in court as his “illness.” He apologized to the court, his family and to children whose images he had collected for his conduct.

“This is not who I am or who I want to be," Fazio said. "I am disgusted with myself."

Fazio told the judge that he lost his livelihood, a career he loved, his home, his wife and an infant daughter he has never met as a result of his actions.

Lemke had asked Choudhury to sentence Fazio to supervised release, but told Newsday after the hearing that Choudhury’s decision was fair.

“My client has lost everything but it pales in comparison to what the victims had to go through,” he said.

Choudhury said Fazio, a former music teacher at W.T. Clarke Middle and High School in East Meadow, possessed more than 1,100 images of child pornography when federal investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in April 2025 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Fazio pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in September 2025.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Misorek asked Choudhury to sentence Fazio to a prison term within the federal guidelines as a deterrent to people who exploit and sexually abuse children. The images officials seized included one that showed a child who was bound and gagged, he said.

Children are not just traumatized by the abuse they endure by creators who coerce or force them into making pornography, Choudhury said. They also experience anxiety, fear and despair when they learn their images have been distributed to wider audiences.

“Consumption of child pornography is not a victimless crime,” the judge told Fazio.

Alfred Dagro, the father of Fazio’s ex-wife, said the former music teacher convinced his wife to get pregnant shortly after Fazio learned he was the target of an investigation. His daughter, who did not appear in court, was 6 months pregnant when Fazio was arrested. Fazio’s daughter is now 1 year old.

“I want you to understand that my family has been profoundly impacted,” Dagro told the judge.

Fazio has cut ties with his ex-wife and will not be involved in his daughter’s life, Lemke said. He does not want to burden them with the stigma that comes with association with a sex offender.

“He knows his ex-wife did not deserve this,” Lemke said.