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Woodhaven tutor pleads guilty to child porn: DA

By Sarina Trangle

WOODHAVEN — Authorities announced a 31-year-old tutor was sentenced to one to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a child porn-related charge.

The Queens district attorney’s office said police found more than 100 videos and 1,700 images depicting boys and girls under 12 in a sexual matter on a desktop computer in Robert Edele’s home last October.

Edele, a Woodhaven resident, admitted to downloading and sharing the files, the DA said.

After pleading guilty to promoting a sexual performance by a child Sept. 5, Edele also agreed to give up his teaching license and register as a sex offender upon leaving prison.

Authorities said the tutor was licensed to teach students in first- through sixth-grades in New York.

Celia Gordon, Edele’s attorney, said her client had “profound” Asperger syndrome.

She said Edele rarely worked as a tutor, but always had his father or another person present when interacting with students.

“He accepted full responsibility for his actions and there is no question that this will never again be repeated,” Gordon said.