Former middle school teacher Christopher Schroll, 33, has been sentenced to four years in prison for secretly filming female students in a locker room. Schroll, who taught and coached soccer at Cleveland Middle School, pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated unlawful photography of a minor.
The hidden camera recordings captured 30 female students, some while changing. During his sentencing, Schroll expressed remorse, stating, “To the parents and your children, I’m deeply sorry. I know you placed a lot of trust in me and I broke that, and all I can ever say is I’m sorry.” He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case came to light in March 2022 when students reported finding a camera in the girls’ locker room. Schroll admitted to purchasing a DivineEagle Spy Camera online and placing it in the locker room under the pretense of addressing alleged bullying issues, which school administrators later confirmed they had not received any complaints about.
Investigators discovered that Schroll had recorded footage over two days and had stored the videos on his personal computer for review. The police had to sift through approximately four million images on an SD card linked to the hidden camera.
In addition to the recordings of students, detectives found a deleted video that showed footage up a student’s skirt.
At the sentencing hearing, several parents spoke about the emotional trauma their children experienced as a result of Schroll’s actions.
One parent described how their child was left speechless and confused, asking, “Why, Momma? I trusted him!” Another mother urged the court to understand the lasting impact on their daughters’ lives and their ability to trust teachers moving forward.
Despite a defense witness advocating for treatment instead of incarceration, the judge emphasized the severity of Schroll’s actions and the need for accountability. Schroll’s presence in the community has raised concerns among parents, particularly as he had been seen near girls’ soccer practices since his arrest.
