The vice president of an upstate New York school board was arrested for having several videos of infants being sexually abused on his phone, according to authorities.
Travis Barr Longo, 46, of Cazenovia, was cuffed on child pornography charges after state troopers seized his cellphone and discovered “numerous” videos and photos depicting sexual abuse on Thursday, according to the US Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of New York.
Longo, who serves as the vice president of the Cazenovia Central School District’s Board of Education, received the vile content from other users on an internet-based messaging app, prosecutors said.
The sicko appeared in federal court on Saturday and was ordered held behind bars pending further court proceedings.
His mugshot, released by state troopers, captured Longo with thick eyebrows and what appeared to be makeup smeared all over his face.
The Cazenovia Central School District has since called for the twisted VP to be axed from the board — demanding he resign before the district pursues his removal through state-mandated processes.
“We unanimously agreed to a swift and decisive process to demand Mr. Longo’s resignation, as this is the most expedient way to remove him from the Board, effective immediately,” the board said in a statement.
“The Board of Education has been shocked, deeply saddened, and outraged by these serious
allegations,” the statement continued.
Longo was given a deadline of noon on Monday to resign before the district takes further action. It’s unclear if he met the deadline.
He also founded Cazenovia Pride Fest, which evolved into the organization Cazenovia Pride, WSYR reported. Members of the group have decided to cancel the upcoming Pride festival in light of the serious accusations against Longo.
“I feel betrayed,” Danielle Synborski, the group’s president, told the outlet. “This organization is because of the work that Travis did to start the festival six years ago, and we saw a need that our non-profit could meet.”
The school board vice president also performed drag under the name Anita Buffem, and claimed to be “the 1st Drag Artist elected to official position in U.S.” on his Facebook profile, the outlet reported.
He now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars, a $250,000 fine carried by both charges, and a supervised release term of at least five years and up to life.
Longo will also be required to register as a sex offender once he is released from prison.
“These allegations against a school board vice president strike at the heart of parents’ trust and fears. For HSI Syracuse and our law enforcement partners, protecting children is not just a duty—it’s personal,” Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone said in a statement.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue anyone who endangers children, so parents can send their kids to school knowing they are safe,” Patrone added.
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