An investigation led by police in Scotland into the dissemination of child sex abuse materials on the messaging app Telegram led to the arrest of a New York City public high school teacher on Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors allege that Joseph Taylor McKeel, 32, a high school teacher at a public school in Manhattan, knowingly possessed and intended to view illegal images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material was allegedly found on a thumb drive and other electronic devices seized from his Brooklyn home during the execution of a federal search warrant.

In late 2025, an undercover agent with Police Scotland infiltrated a Telegram group titled “Just guys and football.” As part of that operation, the officer reportedly gained access to a Zoom meeting link where several users were broadcasting child sexual abuse material. The activity was recorded and later reviewed by the FBI.

Investigators traced one of the participants, using the Zoom username “NYSubSlut” to McKeel.

During the search, agents seized multiple electronic devices and storage media. A preliminary review identified about 150 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material on a thumb drive, according to the criminal complaint. The review of digital evidence remains ongoing.

McKeel was released on a $200,000 bond and will be required to participate in a drug treatment program.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in collaboration with Police Scotland and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.