A music teacher who sexually abused and photographed his students with a camera hidden in the bathroom has been sentenced to 50 years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.
Phillip Close, 43, of Rochester, pleaded guilty to a 74 count indictment, including 61 counts of producing child pornography.
Close ran the Close School of Music in Parma from 2016 to 2019, providing private music lessons to children. During that time, he hid surveillance cameras throughout the building and secretaly taped students, parents and other teachers. The images included him touching himself and children inappropriately during lessons.