Former Teacher Accused of Coercing Students into Nude Photography
Two teenage girls have filed a federal lawsuit against a former teacher from St. Ann’s School, a private institution in Brooklyn that charges $63,000 annually. They allege that Winston Nguyen forced them to take explicit photos and threatened them with “revenge porn.”
The lawsuit claims Nguyen solicited nude images and videos from the girls when they were only 13 years old, sharing this material with his students. Nguyen is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to serious charges last year, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
Filed in federal court, the civil lawsuit names St. Ann’s School, several of its administrators, and Nguyen as defendants. The girls, who were not students at St. Ann’s, claim that school officials failed to act despite having numerous warning signs about Nguyen’s predatory behavior.
Nguyen, aged 39, was arrested in June 2024 in Brooklyn Heights. He has admitted to using minors in sexual performances along with multiple misdemeanors.
St. Ann’s School, an elite private institution known for its high Ivy League acceptance rate and tuition fees around $60,000, has been embroiled in scandal for nearly two years. This lawsuit marks the first time that some of Nguyen’s victims have come forward publicly.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stated that Nguyen violated the trust of teenage victims across various elite schools. Prosecutors allege that he used Snapchat to pose as a teenage boy, engaging minors in explicit conversations and persuading them to share nude content. These incidents reportedly occurred between October 2022 and May 2024.
The victims felt pressured to comply due to Nguyen’s perceived social status among St. Ann’s students, as outlined in a complaint obtained by the New York Times. “This is an outrageous betrayal of trust,” Gonzalez remarked. He emphasized the need to spare the victims from reliving their trauma in court while holding Nguyen accountable.
After the girls stopped communicating, Nguyen allegedly shared their nude images with other students. The lawsuit alleges that St. Ann’s was alerted twice in early 2024 about explicit content being circulated among students via Snapchat but took no concrete action, failing to involve the police.
According to the complaint, St. Ann’s officials were aware of Nguyen’s criminal history when they hired him in 2020, with at least one staff member expressing concerns about his past involving financial exploitation. The report claims that Nguyen engaged in inappropriate behavior, such as giving gifts and visiting students uninvited.
After the lawsuit was filed, St. Ann’s leadership issued a letter disputing the allegations, stating that there are misstatements regarding the school’s role. They expressed concern for all victims affected by Nguyen’s actions.
The girls’ attorney, Joshua Perry, asserts that evidence will show the school’s leaders routinely ignored warning signs about Nguyen’s predatory behavior. He noted that the school fostered a culture of intimidation, dissuading victims from coming forward.
“They released a predator among the children of Brooklyn,” Perry said, emphasizing the need for accountability from the school’s administration. He hopes more victims will find the courage to speak out despite the school’s history of discouragement.
Statements made by the girls during Nguyen’s sentencing highlighted the lasting impact of his actions. One victim said, “You ruined my life, destroyed my ability to trust, and damaged my opportunity to love myself.”
