Former Watsonville first grade teacher sentenced for child pornography

A former Watsonville first grade teacher has been sentenced to five years in prison for possession of child pornography.

53-year-old Robert Krietzman was also ordered to pay $5000 in restitution after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

According to the plea agreement, Krietzman admitted to possessing over 600 images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Many of the images depicted prepubescent female children engaged in masturbation, sexual intercourse with adult males, or in bondage.

The images were discovered in May of 2016 by Santa Cruz Police detectives executing a search warrant at Krietzman’s home in Watsonville. The case later was referred for federal prosecution.

Krietzman was a credentialed first grade teacher in Watsonville at the time the images were located on electronic devices in his home.

Krietzman was charged by information on September 6, 2017, with one count of possession of child pornography.

In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Freeman also sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release and required him to pay a $5,100 special assessment fee.

The Court also imposed forfeiture of all devices recovered from Krietzman’s home containing child pornography. Judge Freeman also ordered Krietzman to register as a sex offender and participate in sex offender treatment and counseling. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody to begin serving his sentence.