East Orange Wrestling Coach Appears In Court On Child Porn, Drug Charges

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) – A high school wrestling coach and middle school gym teacher was in court Friday to face child pornography and drug charges.

Justin Bozinta, 37, is the wrestling coach at East Orange Campus High School and a middle school teacher at the Costley Middle School in East Orange.

Bozinta cried during his court appearance inside the Union County Jail in Elizabeth as a judge read out the charges. If found guilty, Bozinta could face up to 20 years behind bars.

"Today's hearing wasn't about pleading guilty or not guilty. My client is innocent until proven guilty," defense attorney Kimberly Yonta said. "There's a lot of information that we expect to come out in the upcoming weeks. This case is still in its infancy. So he is looking forward to his day in court."

Bozinta was arrested last Friday after investigators found that he had uploaded several images of child pornography to a Google Plus photo account using a computer located at a school facility, Acting Attorney General John Hoffman said.

Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, noted Bozinta is not charged with producing any child pornography.

"We're not making any allegation that students were involved, but obviously there is concern on behalf of the parents in the district and prosecutors'' to investigate further, Aseltine said.

When they served a search warrant, detectives also found a "grow room" with a special ventilation system, high-powered lights and chemicals as well as 40 marijuana plants in his Roselle home, Hoffman said.

They also seized seven handguns, four rifles, a shotgun and a homemade silencer, authorities said.

"It's appalling that a man entrusted with instructing and mentoring young students as a teacher and coach allegedly was dealing drugs and sexually exploiting children by viewing child pornography online,'' Hoffman said in a release. "For a teacher to engage in those crimes, which drive so much harm and abuse of children, is a shocking betrayal.''

CBS2's Christine Sloan spoke to some of the members of the wrestling team and students at the middle school. Many said they don't believe these charges against Bozinta.

"He was a nice guy. He made us laugh. He never came on to kids in a sexual way," student Tyshad Campbell said.

Bozinta is charged with third-degree possession of child pornography and drug charges that carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison.

The superintendent said she is aware of the situation and is "cooperating fully with authorities," but will not say if Bozinta still has a job.

Bozinta was being held at the Union County jail on $275,000 bail.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)