Ex-Bay Shore Teacher Gets Up To 50 Years In Child Sex Abuse Case: DA

BAY SHORE, NY — A former Bay Shore elementary school teacher convicted in a child sex abuse case was sentenced Wednesday to 33 1/3 to 50 years in state prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Thomas Bernagozzi, 77, of Babylon, was previously found guilty on charges including first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, first-degree sodomy and three counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child after a jury trial earlier this year, prosecutors said.

The sentence reflects the maximum allowed under the law on the top two charges — 25 years for course of sexual conduct against a child and 8 1/3 to 25 years for sodomy, according to the district attorney’s office.

Authorities said Bernagozzi sexually abused two former students and possessed sexually explicit images of a third former student.

According to trial testimony cited by prosecutors, Bernagozzi used his position as a trusted teacher to gain access to children through school and extracurricular activities. Prosecutors said he ran school plays, after-school sports and took children to beaches, pools, gyms, Broadway shows and sporting events, where much of the abuse occurred.

Prosecutors said Bernagozzi worked as a third-grade teacher at Mary G. Clarkson Elementary School and Gardiner Manor Elementary School between 1970 and 2000 before retiring from the Bay Shore Union Free School District in 2003.

The conviction on the course of sexual conduct charge involved abuse of a victim between the ages of 8 and 11, prosecutors said. Another conviction for sodomy involved abuse of a second victim when the child was 7 years old. Prosecutors said Bernagozzi first met the victim when the child was 4 years old because the victim’s older brother was a student in his class.

According to prosecutors, Bernagozzi also abused that victim during outings to beaches and pools between the ages of 4 and 7.

The child sexual abuse material convictions stemmed from a December 2023 search warrant executed at Bernagozzi’s home, where Suffolk County police recovered thousands of photographs in printed and negative formats depicting male students at various events, prosecutors said. Authorities said many of the children in the photos were shirtless and posed, while one child’s genitals were exposed.

Prosecutors said 45 civil lawsuits were previously filed against Bernagozzi and the Bay Shore Union Free School District under the New York State Child Victims Act.

Bernagozzi was represented at sentencing by attorney Steven Politi, who did not immediately respond to Patch for comment following sentencing.

“Justice has been long overdue for the survivors who bravely came forward to hold their abuser accountable,” Tierney said Wednesday. “We hope this outcome provides some measure of closure as they continue their healing.”