A La Costa Canyon High School math teacher was arrested today in Carlsbad on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material, following a state investigation that began with an alleged attempt to buy illicit content online, authorities said.
Arrest, Booking and Identification
San Dieguito Union High School District officials identified the teacher as Joseph Zyburt, 55, and confirmed he was in custody. Local reporting and jail records show Zyburt was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and that a felony complaint for an arrest warrant was filed Monday, Patch reported. Those accounts point to the underlying court paperwork detailing the charges.
Charges and Investigation
The criminal complaint filed Monday lists three felony counts: possession of child pornography on a cellphone, attempted purchase of child pornography and possession of child pornography on a computer, according to the California Department of Justice. In a press release, the California Department of Justice said the case began after agents flagged attempted online purchases, and that searches of devices in Zyburt’s control confirmed his possession and attempted possession.
The department said its White Collar Investigation Team led the probe, working with the Carlsbad Police Department and the FBI’s Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.
School and College Ties
Records show Zyburt has taught math in the San Dieguito district and also worked as an associate instructor at MiraCosta College. The high school’s math department lists a Joe Zyburt among its teachers and MiraCosta course pages list him as an instructor, while payroll entries on Transparent California and college listings show him on district and college rosters in recent years. MiraCosta schedules indicate he had been listed to teach courses for fall 2025.
District Response and Timeline
The district told reporters it was first notified in early September 2025 that law enforcement had opened an investigation, and that Zyburt was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave, KGTV reported. School officials said they did not have additional information beyond what was released by the state attorney general about the arrest.
Legal Process
The California Department of Justice said its Special Prosecutions Section will handle the case and stressed that the criminal complaint sets out allegations only. “Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” the attorney general’s office said in its release. The California Department of Justice said deputy attorneys general will prosecute the matter in court.
