Union Township teacher admits to child pornography & sexual conduct with minor

Michael D. Hamilton, 53, of Springfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, to one count of producing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

Hamilton, a former high school teacher, admitted before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court that he engaged in sexual conduct with a minor victim and recorded the encounter. Law enforcement officials recovered the video during a search of his home in October 2023.

Court documents reveal that Hamilton also acknowledged receiving and possessing explicit messages, photos, and videos involving two additional minors.

The charge of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of 30 years and a $250,000 fine. Hamilton’s sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025.

The case was investigated by the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, in collaboration with the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation. The program coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Sussman and Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark are representing the government in the case. Hamilton is represented by defense counsel Randy Davenport, Esq.

Hamilton had previously worked as a music teacher and band director at Union Township High School for 15 years before his arrest in October 2023.