A former assistant principal in Pasco County has pleaded guilty in federal court to producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography. 

Kyle Ritsema worked at Cypress Creek Middle-High School. He was arrested by federal agents in February.

According to court paperwork, he chatted for months with another person from Pasco County about their sexual interest in children. That person was later identified as William Napolitano, the district’s transportation manager, paperwork shows. Some of the texts between the men discussed encounters with teenage boys.

Documents show that Ritsema sent five images of a juvenile male in March of 2015. Some of the pictures were graphic.

In February, federal agents went to Ritsema’s workplace, Cypress Creek Middle-High School, to discuss the charges. Ritsema explained to the agents that he meet the teen online and the teen claimed he was 18.

However, court documents show the boy was 14 at the time of the first encounter with Ritsema. The paperwork says “this case is likely to resolve itself by a guilty plea.”

Now that Ritsema has pleaded guilty, he faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years for producing child pornography. He also faces a minimum mandatory term of 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the two child pornography distribution charges, and a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession charge.

In total, Ritsema faces up to 80 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in Tampa sentenced Napolitano to life in prison for engaging in sex acts with teenage boys and collecting hundreds of inappropriate pictures.

Special agents with U.S. Immigrant and Customers Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigators are now seeking the public’s help to identity possible additional victims in this case.

“If there are more children that were victimized by this predator, we ask for the public and parents to help us identify them and make sure they receive the support they need,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. 

“These young people did not know there was an adult predator on the other side of the computer and this should serve as a grave warning to our communities to be vigilant about our children’s online activities.”

Any person who was or knows or someone who may have been a victim of Napolitano’s should contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or go online.