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BURBANK – A Burbank elementary school teacher was indicted for producing child pornography and illicit sexual conduct with a 15-year-old student for the purpose of producing child pornography.

The federal grand jury named the Sean David Sigler, 53, of Burbank, in a criminal indictment that accuses him of sexually exploiting the teen student. Sigler taught fifth grade at Bret Harte Elementary School in Burbank and at Gardner Street Elementary School in Los Angeles. He was indicted on eleven counts, including obtaining custody and control of a minor with intent to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and possession of child pornography.

A criminal complaint was filed against Sigler charging him with the production of child pornography. Sigler allegedly inserted himself in into the female victim’s life shortly after she left his classroom, using his position as a former teacher, mentor, and father-figure to gain the trust of the victim and her parent. Officials said that over a 15-month period, Sigler took the victim to his home, give her alcohol and pills, then photograph and film his sexual activity with her. Sigler began having sexual intercourse with the young victim when she was 15-years-old. Through investigation, digital devices belonging to Sigler contained images and videos that captured his sex acts with the minor. In addition to these photos and videos, thousands of child pornography images with unknown pre-pubescent minors, and non-pornographic photos of minor female students from his classroom were found; some of these images located and saved from the social media accounts of his former students.

The crimes committed carry the following sentences:

–obtaining custody and control of a minor with intent to produce child pornography carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life imprisonment

–producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison

–enticement carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment

–possessing child pornography each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Sigler remains in federal custody and will be arraigned on the indictment in the coming weeks.