A former employee of Brighton High School in Boston, John Jamar Cokley, has been indicted on 30 counts related to child sex abuse, including child sex trafficking and aggravated child rape, as reported by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Cokley, 38, is accused of raping two students and sexually exploiting five others over social media, as detailed by authorities. These allegations stem from his time as a paraprofessional at the high school from 2019 and through 2021, though Boston Public Schools stated he was not employed by the district when the alleged crimes took place, according to a report by Boston 25 News.
Upon investigating a report from March of a student being sexually exploited, the Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit uncovered Instagram messages between the student and Cokley. These messages showcased an exchange of naked videos and images, alongside Cokley's requests to meet the student for sex in return for money. The district attorney's office said, "Social media is embedded in our society and so is the manipulation and exploitation that come along with it," according to Boston 25 News. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Polin told WCVB that Cokley surrounded himself with teenage girls, grooming them and exploiting their vulnerabilities and financial insecurities.
Additionally, as the investigation progressed, several more victims emerged, all describing similar predatory tactics used by Cokley, who operated under the username “Hiddenjewelsgh” on Instagram. The former Brighton high school worker, who frequently wore a black ski mask during the sexual encounters for money, would flatter the girls on their appearance, offer them an "allowance" for nude images or videos, and would threaten to withdraw this allowance if they did not respond promptly to his messages. He also asked two of the victims to sell marijuana.
Cokley's predatory actions extended to a point where he requested a victim to record a naked video inside a school bathroom, as a part of their exchange for money through CashApp. Upon Cokley's arrest, investigators found dozens of the victims' naked images and videos on his phone and Instagram account, including multiple self-produced videos of child sexual abuse material. The district attorney's office declared that these findings were disturbing, especially because they implicated a trusted individual who had institutional access to young people. Cokley has been ordered held without bail pending a July 2 dangerousness hearing in superior court, which was confirmed by both Boston 25 News and WCVB.
