A third-grade teacher at Encanto Elementary School in Phoenix has been arrested on federal charges after agents say he confessed to distributing child sexual abuse material through an encrypted chat group, following a tip that began with an undercover Australian officer monitoring the same channel. Gabriel Lorenzo Chacon, 32, was taken into custody after federal agents raided his Phoenix home, and he now faces charges of distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession with intent to view child pornography involving victims under 12.
The federal criminal complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, lays out how the case began, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. The FBI's child exploitation operation unit received intelligence from an undercover Australian law enforcement officer who had been monitoring an encrypted chat group called the Ganymedean Brotherhood, described as a channel dedicated to sharing illicit media involving infants and young children. On October 2, an account using the handle ND Dom posted a message in the group asking what someone who was a teacher might do with three hours alone in a classroom after school.
The undercover officer then engaged the user in a private conversation that lasted four hours, during which the account identified himself as an elementary school third-grade teacher based in Phoenix and sent five federally chargeable illicit videos depicting abuse of young children, per the same account. The user also provided a Telegram username, @switchgabe, which New South Wales Police Force detectives connected to a phone number registered to Chacon.
How Investigators Traced the Account Back to a Classroom
From there, investigators pieced together a digital trail linking the anonymous account to a real identity and workplace. An Instagram profile, @learn_with_mr.chacon, displayed a bio stating he was teaching third grade at Encanto Elementary, along with photos matching selfies the account had sent during the chat. The FBI Phoenix field office confirmed Chacon's active employment through Arizona Department of Economic Security records.
Investigators also matched the account's IP address to a Phoenix residence registered in Chacon's name with Cox Communications, the complaint states. On October 6, federal agents observed Chacon working outside his home, then executed a court-authorized search warrant signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle. Agents detained Chacon in his front yard and took him to a law enforcement vehicle for questioning.
The FBI and Australia's ACCCE coordinate cross-border operations targeting child exploitation online through a partnership that committed to a joint council in May 2023; the council held its first meeting in November 2023, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Teacher Reportedly Confessed, Denied Physical Contact With Students
During questioning, police say Chacon confessed to using an encrypted messaging platform, saving illicit media to mobile devices, and distributing files in the group chat multiple times. Chacon reportedly said his actions were “just a fantasy,” and reportedly maintained that he never physically abused minors, never photographed students in his classroom, and kept the activity confined to his personal mobile phones. He provided agents with passcodes to his devices and permitted authorities to seize his online accounts, per the complaint.
Arizona law addresses teacher certification and fingerprint-clearance-card status under Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-534, including conditional certification before a card is obtained. Encanto Elementary, located at 1420 W. Osborn Rd., is a public PreK-3 campus within the Osborn Elementary School District #8 that serves over 500 students and features a 50/50 English-Spanish dual language immersion program, according to the district. The campus is one of six in the Osborn district, which Hoodline has covered before over a gym evacuation at Osborn Middle School.
What Comes Next in Federal Court
FOX 10 reported that the Osborn School District said Chacon was placed on administrative leave, barred from district technology and buildings, and reported to the Arizona State Board of Education. Chacon has a first court appearance scheduled for Friday.
Statewide internet child exploitation investigations in Arizona are anchored by the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a multi-agency coalition led by the Phoenix Police Department's ICAC Unit, according to the AZICAC Task Force. Under federal law, a first-time offender convicted of transporting child pornography faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to 20 years under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, per the Department of Justice.
