A former Orlando middle school teacher has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to charges involving child sex crimes. Italo Rafael Brett Bonini, a one-time chorus instructor at Hunters Creek Middle School, was convicted on charges of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity and producing child sexual abuse material. The sentence was handed down yesterday, as per court records.
This case has particularly shocked the community, given the nature of the accusations against Brett Bonini, who used Discord, a popular chat app, to communicate and manipulate minors. He would offer in-game currency for "Roblox," a widely-played children's game, in exchange for sexual acts over video chat. According to an earlier report by ClickOrlando, Brett Bonini "pushed two children in Maryland to do sex acts over Discord video chat."
Bonini was arrested in February following a discovery by the father of the victims, leading to a broader investigation. During an interview with detectives, captured in a statement obtained by ClickOrlando, Bonini claimed he deleted his Discord account because he was "disgusted with himself." However, evidence brought forward by the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicated attempts by Brett Bonini to victimize at least 20 other children using the internet.
Further court findings have revealed a disturbingly larger scope of Bonini’s activities, showing over 30 victims located across the US, Europe, and Africa within a span of just seven months. These findings were shared in a report by WFTV.
