Summit teacher got kids to send him nude photos, feds say

A Summit fifth-grade teacher who appeared on public television during the pandemic has been charged with contacting children online to get them to send him nude images of themselves.

Dozens of child pornography photos and videos were discovered by an employee of a California company where Steven Brooks, 34, of Morristown, sent an external hard drive for repair in January, according to the federal criminal complaint.

One of the videos on the drive indicated that Brooks used a fake online persona to get nude photos and videos from a teen.

In one folder labelled "clips," there were images of a person engaging in oral sex, a person masturbating, and picture files of a naked person masturbating on a bed. Investigators said Brooks sent those images to a minor. Other photos show minors taking selfies while not wearing pants or underpants, the complaint says.

Brooks is charged with one count of production of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of mailing child pornography.

Brooks is featured in two NJTV videos made in April called "Math with Mr. Brooks."

NJ.com reported he was the director of travel for the Livingston Soccer Club. The position is blank on the club's website. The club did not immediately return a request for comment from New Jersey 101.5 on Wednesday morning.

Summit schools Superintendent Scott Hough said that the district was told that none of the allegations against Brooks occurred on school property and that Brooks did not have a criminal history that came up in his background check.

"We have been informed that the investigation is in preliminary stages and we have not received any information to suggest that any of the allegations have impacted any of our students," Hough said in a written statement.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ