Boston High School Staffer Indicted On 30 Child Sex Charges

BOSTON, MA — A Boston man and former Brighton High School and MissionSAFE staff member was indicted last week on 30 counts of child sex charges, the Sussex County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

These new counts expand on a handful of charges — including sex trafficking and rape of a child by force — for which the man, 38-year-old John Jamar Cokley, was previously arraigned, according to officials.

Cokley worked as a paraprofessional at Brighton High School from 2019-2021 and was affiliated with MissionSAFE, a local non-profit that works with Boston at-risk youth and their families.

The investigation into Cokley began in March 2024, when a local high school reported one of their students was being sexually exploited, according to officials. Investigators from the Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit were provided with a series of Instagram messages between the student and Cokley exchanging nude videos and images, as well as discussing where Cokley would meet the student to have sex in exchange for money.

As the investigation continued, additional victims described meeting Cokley through Instagram, where he used the username "Hiddenjewelsgh," and being induced into sending nude videos and images in exchange for money, officials said.

"Cokley randomly messaged the girls through Instagram and would compliment their appearance to make a connection, Cokley would offer the girls an 'allowance' if they sent him naked images or videos," the Sussex County District Attorney's Office said. "Cokley repeatedly requested to meet up in person to have sex in exchange for money. Additionally, Cokley asked two victims to sell marijuana."

Cokley sexually exploited five high school students via the social media platform Instagram and raped two of them between fall of 2023 and March of 2024, according to Assistant District Attorney Ashley Polin.

Victims said that Cokley always wore a black ski mask when engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money, and would "often complain that the girls, who were typically in school, were not responding to him quick enough and threatened to take away their 'allowance,'" officials said.

Investigators found dozens of naked images and videos of the victims on both his phone and Instagram account, according to officials. Cokley can be seen in some of the images and videos.

Cokley is charged with seven counts of sex trafficking of a child, five counts of aggravated rape of a child, one count of rape of a child by force, three counts of posing a child in a state of nudity, four counts of posing a child in a state of sexual conduct, four counts of enticing a child under 18 into commercial sex, two counts of inducing a minor to sell a controlled substance, one count of dissemination of harmful matter to a minor, possession of child pornography, and purchasing child pornography, officials said.

He has been ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing in superior court July 2.

"These allegations are extremely disturbing, particularly because they involve a person of trust with institutional access to young people," Sussex County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said. "Social media is embedded in our society and so is the manipulation and exploitation that come along with it. I commend these students and the school for coming forward and encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim to contact the police."

Hayden is urging anyone who may have been victimized by Cokley to contact the Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit at (617) 343-6533.