HONESDALE -- A teacher in the Wayne Highlands School District has been arrested for taking inappropriate photos of students, according to investigators.
State police have charged Gaspare Gambino, 34, of Honesdale, with 14 counts of invasion of privacy, accusing the Spanish teacher at Honesdale High School of taking inappropriate photos and videos of 14 different female students.
Investigators secured a warrant and looked at Gambino's files stored on Google Cloud and found those photos and videos.
Investigators say back in September, school officials discovered Gambino was using his school-issued iPad to take photos and videos of at least 14 female students. The girls were wearing clothes but the photos and videos were under skirts and dresses.
"Scared, scared," said parent Greg Tagle. "I have two daughters in the school, one in middle, one in high school. Just because this teacher was taking pictures of girls he found attractive is scary."
Many parents picking up their kids after school already knew of the charges against Gambino.
According to prosecutors, some of those photos appear to have been taken from the teacher's desk during class.
"For the rest of their lives, they'll remember this. This won't go away," said parent Kelly Utegg. "Hopefully the parents will start therapy for them. Because it will be something they're going to think about. Here's a teacher they trusted, an adult they trusted. What are they going to think about men from now on?"
According to court papers, administrators didn't know about those photos and videos until students discovered them in September. Investigators won't say just how many photos were just discovered but say they're numerous and of 14 underage girls.
"Pictures were found by accident from what I understand. Luckily they were found. Hopefully, my daughter was not one of them," Tagle said.
Police believe a student who borrowed the iPad discovered the pictures.
School officials tell Newswatch 16 Gambino has been suspended ever since the incident back in September. He is suspended with pay pending the investigation.
Troopers say not all the victims have been identified and they are working with school officials to identify them.
Gambino has taught Spanish in the Wayne Highlands School District since 2015.
Troopers say it appears Gambino tried to delete the photos and videos from his Google account after he was caught.
He's out on bail.
