Winston Nguyen Sexual Abuse Allegations

The Winston Nguyen sexual abuse allegations have sent shockwaves through Brooklyn, New York, raising urgent concerns about student safety in private educational settings.

Winston Nguyen, a former math teacher at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights, is accused of serious misconduct involving minors. Authorities say he betrayed the trust of families who relied on respected private schools for guidance and protection, leaving communities shaken and demanding accountability.

At Injury Lawyer Team, our school sexual abuse lawyers stand with survivors of sexual abuse and fight to ensure justice is pursued against both individual offenders and institutions that failed in their duty to protect children.

Math Teacher Winston Nguyen’s Background

Between October 2022 and May 2024, Nguyen allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct using multiple Snapchat accounts to contact minors, including 13-year-old and 15-year-old students. Some victims were specifically identified as being at the ages of 13 and were pressured into sharing nude images.

Explicit Images Scandal Involving Saint Ann’s School, New York

Nguyen sometimes sent images himself and pressured children into sharing explicit photos, using online manipulation to gain control. At times, Nguyen posed as a peer or a former educator in order to build trust with vulnerable teenagers.

Investigators and sexual abuse attorneys in New York City say Nguyen operated several accounts, including those under the names “@HunterKristoff” and “HaircutBongos.” These were allegedly used to disguise his identity while approaching children online.

According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the victims included students from some of the most respected private Brooklyn schools, including Saint Ann’s School, Poly Prep Country Day School, Berkeley Carroll School, and Packer Collegiate Institute.

Prosecutors described Nguyen’s conduct as a deliberate pattern of manipulation and exploitation, carried out under the guise of authority and trust.

The initial charges in Winston Nguyen’s criminal record included:

Use of a child in sexually explicit images
Promoting a sexual performance
Disseminating indecent material to minors
Endangering the welfare of a child

During a thorough investigation, St. Ann’s School officials confirmed it had removed Nguyen from his position after the allegations came to light.

The school retained an independent law firm to conduct an internal review and assess compliance. In December 2024, that review found that Saint Ann’s School leadership failed in its duty of care, having overlooked clear warning signs of Nguyen’s misconduct and alleged sexual abuse.

The allegations reveal both an abuse of power and the misuse of digital platforms to reach children outside the classroom.

For families, the discovery that a trusted teacher engaged in this conduct was a devastating betrayal that shook confidence in schools and institutions meant to protect them.

Criminal Proceedings Over Lewd Images and Outcome

In March 2025, Nguyen pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Supreme Court to felony charges involving the sexual exploitation of a minor and several counts tied to placing children at risk of harm.

Winston Nguyen was sentenced to seven years in prison and must register as a sex offender with ten years of post-release supervision.

For families connected to these private schools, including Saint Ann’s, Poly Prep Country Day School, Berkeley Carroll School, and Packer Collegiate Institute, the guilty plea was painful but validating, confirming the seriousness of the charges and the courage of survivors.

Though his misconduct occurred online through Snapchat accounts, Nguyen’s reputation as a teacher and ties to elite private schools magnified the harm, underscoring how seriously courts treat sexual exploitation cases.

Holding Schools Accountable

This case highlights the duty of schools to protect children in their care. Families who relied on respected private schools are now questioning whether safeguards were ignored. Accountability cannot rest with the offender alone.

New York sexual abuse attorneys may hold schools that failed to act on warning signs or protect students liable for negligence. Stronger systems are needed to ensure children remain safe in environments where trust should never be broken.

Community Response

Nguyen’s conviction has unsettled communities in Brooklyn Heights and across New York, showing how quickly trust in educators can be broken and how deeply misconduct erodes confidence in schools once seen as safe.

Concerns now center on oversight and accountability. Families are calling for stronger safeguards, clearer reporting systems, and reforms to prevent misconduct. Without real change, trust in institutions that serve children may be permanently damaged.

What Laws Protect Sexually Abused Victims?

Criminal proceedings address punishment, but survivors of sexual abuse in private schools may also seek justice through civil actions. New York law provides several avenues for holding offenders and institutions accountable:

New York Penal Law § 263.05 prohibits the use of a child in a sexual performance.
New York Penal Law § 263.10 covers the promotion of a sexual performance and offenses involving the performance by a child, applying when an adult induces a minor into exploitative conduct.
New York Penal Law § 260.10 criminalizes endangering the welfare of a child.
New York Penal Law § 235.22 prohibits disseminating indecent material to minors.

Federal protections also apply. The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) guarantees victims the right to be informed of proceedings and to be heard.

Federal law, including 18 U.S.C. § 2251, prohibits the sexual exploitation of minors, including the online distribution of explicit images through platforms such as Snapchat.

Beyond criminal law, civil lawsuits allow survivors to pursue damages for the harm they suffered. These cases provide both compensation and accountability when safeguards fail.

What Damages Can Survivors Recover?

Survivors of sexual abuse in private schools in NYC may be entitled to remedies through civil claims:

Compensatory Damages

Recovery may cover the cost of medical treatment, counseling, therapy, replacement of technology misused to share harmful content, and other expenses directly related to the healing process.

Pain and Suffering

Survivors may seek damages for trauma, anxiety, and loss of trust in institutions that should have provided protection.

Punitive Damages

Courts may award punitive damages in cases of egregious misconduct, punishing the offender and deterring others in similar positions of authority.

Institutional Accountability

Schools that ignore concerns or fail to safeguard children can face liability. Pursuing legal action not only provides accountability for past misconduct but also helps create stronger protections for future students.

How Our Law Firm Can Help

At Injury Lawyer Team, we represent survivors with compassion and strength. Our experienced legal team provides free confidential consultations, preserves evidence from Snapchat accounts, and pursues negligence claims against institutions that failed to protect students.

If you or a loved one was a student victimized at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights, Packer Collegiate Institute, Berkeley Carroll, or Poly Prep, our sexual abuse lawyers encourage you to reach out. Civil lawsuits not only provide financial relief but also ensure accountability and drive reforms to better protect future students.