Child-porn Suspect Was Cub Scout Volunteer
By Frank Fernandez
The Cub Scouts are the latest organization connected to Matthew Graziotti, charged earlier this week with production and distribution of child pornography. Bill Gosselin, director of operations and chief operating officer for the Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council, said Thursday that Graziotti was an “adult volunteer leader” with a Scouting program. The group has provided records to the FBI about Graziotti and “immediately revoked” his membership. Also, an Edgewater church confirmed Thursday that Graziotti volunteered with children there. Graziotti helped to supervise children in ministries at the Edgewater Alliance Church, lead Pastor David Lane said. He was not employed by the church and his church membership was suspended Tuesday, Lane said. Graziotti’s employer, Warner Christian Academy in South Daytona, where he taught fifth grade, announced it would host a community forum on Monday to discuss ways to protect children. The forum will feature counselors and specialists in child protection and sexual abuse trauma to help parents know the signs and symptoms of trauma reactions and when to seek therapy. It will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in White Chapel Church of God, 1730 S. Ridgewood Ave., South Daytona. Graziotti, 43, was arrested by the FBI on Monday on federal charges of production, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. He is being held with no bail allowed at the Seminole County jail. The criminal complaint against Graziotti describes pornographic images of children performing sex acts with children, adults performing sex acts with children and an image of Graziotti performing a sex act on a boy. One computer file folder seized from Graziotti at his Edgewater home contained 8,761 images, many depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent males, according to the complaint. FBI special agent Rick Dent declined to discuss the case Thursday, citing an open investigation. The revelations about Graziotti’s ties to the Cub Scouts and supervising children at an Edgewater church came in a story that continues to develop about a suspect who seemed to attach himself to various situations that involved children. Graziotti had worked at Warner Christian for about nine years teaching fifth- to eighth-grade classes and was director of the school’s summer day camp. Mark Tress, superintendent at the academy, said no children from Warner Christian have been identified as victims thus far. Graziotti has been placed on unpaid administrative suspension. Gosselin with the Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council declined to identify in a phone interview where Graziotti served as an adult volunteer leader. A website for Cub Scout Pack 425 in Edgewater listed Graziotti as a communications officer Thursday, although that information appeared to be outdated. Gosselin said when Boy Scouts learned this week about the allegations against Graziotti, he was kicked out. “The policy of the Boy Scouts of America is that if anyone is under investigation, we immediately revoke his membership,” Gosselin said. “His membership has been revoked, and we reached out to law enforcement to see if there is anything we can do to assist the investigation.” Gosselin said he has not been notified of any Scouts being among the pictures that investigators say they found on Graziotti’s computer. “We are not aware of any at this time,” Gosselin said. The Boy Scouts of America have offered to meet with parents and make counselors available, but Gosselin said no one had yet requested that service. The Boy Scouts also have provided records to law enforcement, but he declined to say what kind of records. Gosselin was not aware of the FBI asking to speak to any Scouts. “Along with the rest of the community, we were shocked to learn about the allegations against this individual,” Gosselin wrote in an email to The News-Journal. “The behavior included in these allegations runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands.” Graziotti also volunteered to supervise children at the Edgewater Alliance Church. But Graziotti was not alone with the kids and the church has video surveillance, Lane said. “We don’t allow volunteers to be alone with kids,” Lane said. “There are always two adults minimum. We have video surveillance of all rooms so we are a pretty safe environment.” Lane said Graziotti was involved in the church for at least eight years and his official membership probably started more than five years ago. “We do background checks on everyone that works with children and his background check was clear,” Lane said. Lane said law enforcement did not contact the church, but the church took the initiative in contacting the FBI office in Daytona Beach. At Warner Christian Academy, Tress said the school of 800 students is reviewing what it can do to prevent a recurrence. “We are looking at ways where we can gather information where there was alleged activity,” he said. Graziotti was accused of sex offenses against children in 2004, according to an incident report from Edgewater police. But police said this week there was not enough evidence at the time to charge Graziotti. They reopened the case this week, they said. An Edgewater police incident report from May 2004 lists Graziotti as a suspect in alleged sexual offenses at 2108 Hibiscus Drive, which is the address of Friendship Community Church, then known as Friendship Baptist Church. Graziotti was once a youth pastor there. The community is invited to Monday’s forum at Warner Christian. The event is designed for adults and is not appropriate for children to attend, a press release stated. Warner Christian is sponsoring the forum in conjunction with The House Next Door, Volusia County Schools, Community Partnership for Children and The University of Florida Division of Child Protection Team. “Specialists in child protection, child welfare, and child safety will be presenting information to parents on typical signs and symptoms of trauma reactions, how to maintain normal routines, and explanation of what is clinically significant and requires therapeutic intervention,” according to the press release. Maureen Bennett, director of special services at the academy, said The House Next Door contacted Warner Christian about holding the forum.
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