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Former Music Teacher John Zeretzke Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

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John Zeretzke

(MYNEWSLA August 14, 2020 )~ A former music teacher who contracted with a number of school districts in Southern California pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal child pornography charge.

John Zeretzke, 61, of Ventura, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to one count of production of child pornography. He previously pleaded guilty in Orange County Superior Court to six state counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts with minors under the age of 14 years old.

According to his plea agreement in the federal case, from December 2016 to February 2017, Zeretzke used a computer and the internet to communicate with a female minor and coerced her into producing child pornography. The victim did not live in California at the time.

U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin has scheduled a Dec. 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Zeretzke will face a sentence of 15 to 30 years in federal prison.

Zeretzke was previously sentenced to 18 years in state prison and federal prosecutors are recommending an 18-year federal prison sentence that will run concurrently with his state sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.