Former Riverhead High School teacher pleads guilty to posing as teen to solicit nude images from minors
A disgraced Riverhead High School teacher admitted Monday to sexually exploiting underage girls online in Suffolk County — his second guilty plea for similar conduct, following a case in New Jersey.
Ryan McCaffery, 38, of Ridge, entered guilty pleas to two counts of disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree as a sexually motivated felony, both class D felonies, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Mr. McCaffery — who was hired by the district in 2021 — worked as a social studies teacher and junior varsity boys soccer coach at Riverhead High. He resigned Feb. 5, 2025, citing personal reasons.
The Suffolk County investigation began in November 2024, when the New York State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual had shared child sexual abuse material on the messaging app Kik.
In January 2025, state police executed a search warrant at Mr. McCaffery’s Ridge residence and seized several electronic devices.
Following a digital forensic analysis of the devices, investigators found that, between December 2024 and January 2025, Mr. McCaffery had been posing as a teenage boy to message underage girls on Snapchat under the username “c_chambers77.”
He “quick added” hundreds of random accounts to communicate with young girls, sending images of his exposed genitals and requesting nude images from the minors, according to the Suffolk DA.
Prosecutors said he also attempted to view and purchase additional sexual abuse images and videos. He shared at least one such video with another user on Kik, according to the district attorney.
“As a teacher, this defendant had a responsibility to safeguard children, not exploit them,” said District Attorney Ray Tierney in a statement. “He has now admitted to soliciting and distributing child sexual abuse material and will be held accountable for his actions. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to exploit children and use the internet to facilitate these horrific crimes.”
The Suffolk case followed an earlier investigation in Bergen County, N.J., involving separate victims, according to Newsday. Authorities there said Mr. McCaffery posed as a teenager during online chats in 2022 and requested nude photos from two children under 13, the outlet reported.
He surrendered to Bergen County authorities on Feb. 14, 2025, nine days after resigning from Riverhead. New York State Police arrested Mr. McCaffery on May 12, 2025, following the Suffolk probe.
Mr. McCaffery is due back in Suffolk County court Oct. 21, when he is expected to be sentenced to three years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
His prison term is expected to run concurrently with his five-year New Jersey sentence, according to Newsday.
