Table of Contents
New on the Cybertraps Newsletter
This issue comes a day later than usual, courtesy of a long family weekend to celebrate five(!) college and high school graduations. Before diving into this week's roundup, a quick look back: last week, I covered the UK's new under-16 social media ban, asking whether it can accomplish its goals and salvage the political career of the Prime Minister who proposed it. (Spoiler alert: No.) I also reviewed the new ethics chatbot rolled out by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC).
Scheduled for this week: My review of Toy Story 5 and a bit of a deeper dive into a rather remarkable case in Georgia, featuring a toxic mix of social media, messaging, sexual assault, an OnlyFans account, and blackmail.
26 June 2026: UK Under-16 Social Media Ban: Too Little, Too Late
23 June 2026: Let's Chat(bot) About Ethics
22 June 2026: Cybertraps Weekly Summary – June 22, 2026
From the Cybertraps Files
Three continents, one familiar and uncomfortable pattern: educators using their access and authority to groom, record, or distribute exploitative material. This week, I have entries from incidents in Italy, England, Australia, and Japan, alongside a cluster of American states. Also in the mix: a credentialing fraud case in Florida and a free-speech fight over a teacher's political commentary, both reminders that the lines between professional conduct, personal expression, and outright criminal behavior keep getting harder to draw. Invariably, schools and licensing boards are often the ones left to sort it out.
26 June 2026
Italy: Middle school teacher in Florence is fired after telling students to watch porn videos to learn about sex – [https://en.lasicilia.it/news/current-affairs/3052814/watch-porn-that-s-how-you-learn-what-sex-is-middle-school-teacher-fired-in-florence.html]
US_Illinois: Random search at Mexico border reveals child pornography on cell phone of high school teacher – [https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-man-thomas-neal-teacher-local-high-school-charged-transporting-child-pornography-us-attorney/19390055/]
25 June 2026
England: Teacher struck off after being convicted of send over 39,000 Snapchat messages to groom and then sexually assault a student, and for posing as a teenage boy to solicit relationships with young girls – [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmdxy38eezo]
US_Florida: Woman arrested and accused of "taking teacher certification exams and other tests for people seeking professional credentials." – [https://cbs12.com/news/local/fort-lauderdale-florida-woman-accused-charging-1000-take-teacher-certification-exams-for-others-instagram-facebook-attorney-general-uthmeier-cheating-fraud-drivers-licenses-hair-clothing-makeup]
US_Georgia: Alexander High School teacher indicted on 27 charges, including electronically furnishing obscene material to minors and criminal attempt to commit tampering with evidence – [https://www.wrdw.com/2026/06/25/ga-teacher-accused-having-sex-with-students-indicted-27-charges/]
US_New Jersey: Thousands of text messages lead to superseding indictment of former New Jersey middle school teacher with new charges, including manufacturing and possession of child abuse material, and distribution of obscenity to a minor – [https://www.foxnews.com/us/ashley-fisler-new-jersey-teacher-child-sexual-abuse-material-indictment]
24 June 2026
England: Primary school teacher loses license after sending hundreds of inappropriate emails and Snapchat photos to students – [https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/emma-anderson-ingleby-barwick-teacher-34165211]
23 June 2026
US_Florida: Suspended teacher stands by his criticism of Charlie Kirk on Facebook while awaiting decision on reinstatement – [https://www.wptv.com/news/treasure-coast/region-martin-county/martin-county-teacher-speaks-out-stands-by-charlie-kirk-comments-after-reinstatement-recommendation]
22 June 2026
Australia: Former teacher in Tasmania jailed for using Snapchat to groom three students, in part by taking and sending nude images – [https://pulsetasmania.com.au/news/launceston-teachers-aide-jailed-for-grooming-teenage-boys/]
Japan: Teacher fired for attempting to use a smartphone to secretly record a video of a female sex worker – [https://kmin.news/archives/6874 (in Japanese)]
Some Articles of Interest
Four threads converge in this week's suggested reading list: AI's mixed verdict in classrooms, drones moving from battlefield to school policy, EdTech's funding and trust problems, and the quiet expansion of gambling mechanics into youth spaces. And parents and teachers face an interesting question: Is "influencer" a legitimate career goal?
AI
27 June 2026: How Teaching A.I. Endangered Languages Can Help Save Them – [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/27/arts/ai-cajun-french-language.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uFA.ySSk.FVzL0Un9tk4-&smid=url-share]
26 June 2026: Teachers, parents and even students trash disastrous impact of AI in schools: ‘My heart breaks for this generation’ – [https://nypost.com/2026/06/26/lifestyle/teachers-parents-and-students-trash-impact-of-ai-in-schools/]
Drones
28 June 2026: Amery board approves bus camera policy, takes first look at drone restrictions – [https://www.theameryfreepress.com/news/amery-board-approves-bus-camera-policy-takes-first-look-at-drone-restrictions/article_654ec1bf-2433-44bd-af2a-188252755797.html]
26 June 2026: Lawmakers Must Act Now to Prevent Armed Police Drones – [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/06/lawmakers-must-act-now-prevent-armed-police-drones]
25 June 2026: Russia Doubles Military Training in Schools, Expands Drone and Combat Instruction for Children – [https://united24media.com/world/russia-doubles-military-training-in-schools-expands-drone-and-combat-instruction-for-children-20179]
EdTech
29 June 2026: There’s a New Pledge for Schools to Show They’re Deliberate About Tech Use – [https://www.edweek.org/technology/theres-a-new-pledge-for-schools-to-show-theyre-deliberate-about-tech-use/2026/06]
25 June 2026: FCC may kill $2B program that connects schools and libraries to Internet – [https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/fcc-may-kill-2b-program-that-connects-schools-and-libraries-to-internet/]
24 June 2026: Vermont’s classrooms are a Big Tech sales pitch – [https://vtdigger.org/2026/06/24/opinion-vermonts-classrooms-are-a-big-tech-sales-pitch/]
Gambling
27 June 2026: We’re Getting America’s Children Hooked on Gambling – [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/27/opinion/gambling-addiction-middle-school.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uFA.4PVv.NDKZKjnMwLLH&smid=url-share]
Social Media
22 June 2026: From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up – [https://theconversation.com/from-norway-to-wisconsin-children-want-to-be-social-media-influencers-when-they-grow-up-284251]
