Ex-Teacher Faces Sex Sentence
By Andrew Smith
Originally published in Newsday, September 22, 2001
During months of court appearances, parents of the underage girls that former school teacher Anthony Correnti had sex with seethed quietly. Friday, before sentencing Correnti to prison, a Suffolk County Court judge gave voice to the anguish some had expressed privately.
"How much irreparable harm you did to these young ladies, Mr. Correnti, we may never know," said an angry Judge Louis Ohlig. "You're a teacher; your job is to help. What were you doing as a teacher, destroying how many lives?"
Correnti, 26, of West Islip was charged with having sex with several of his students, photographing and filming some of the encounters, hoarding thousands of pornographic images and video clips of children on his computer and distributing child pornography to others. He faced similar charges in Manhattan and Nassau, where he was a music teacher.
In July he pleaded guilty to six of the 52 counts in the Suffolk indictment as part of a tri-county plea bargain. He will serve 10 to 30 years in prison for use of a child in a sexual performance, disseminating indecent material to a minor, possessing a sexual performance by a child, third-degree sodomy and two counts of third-degree rape.
The children shown having sex with adults in Correnti's computer pornography collection were as young as 4 years old, said Assistant District Attorney Tracy Hoffman.
"They're victimized every time the image is viewed," she said.
Parents of two students Correnti had sex with told Ohlig of the damage Correnti did. One father said his daughter was 14 when she encountered Correnti in school.
"From that time on, it's been a downward slide," he said. The girl's grades plummeted, he said. Her self-confidence evaporated. She started doing drugs. She's doing better now, he said, but is repeating 11th grade.
The mother of another girl, who said Correnti stalked her for years before seducing her when she was 14, said she had to move to a different school to escape the vicious gossip of her classmates.
Correnti said he was sorry.
"My actions were indefensible," he said in a shaky voice. "Words cannot express the true level of my remorse … I make this promise to the court: I will atone for my actions."
His attorney, Frank Maffei of Bay Shore, insisted that Correnti is no monster and will contribute to the community whenever he gets out of prison.
"This is a person who has the ability to be a productive member of society," Maffei said.
Ohlig was doubtful. Looking at Correnti, he said, "What redeeming values do we have here, Mr. Maffei?"
Ohlig asked Correnti why he never sought help.
"I was too embarrassed," Correnti replied.
Victims' parents laughed derisively. Ohlig rolled his eyes, shook his head and imposed the sentence.
