PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A former assistant principal at Cypress Creek Middle High School in Pasco County was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography. 

Kyle Ritsema, 36, pleaded guilty to the charges on December 21, 2018. 

Court documents show Ritsema enticed a 14-year-old child on the app "Grindr" and had sex with the child on at least five occasions. He also produced pornographic images of the teen, which he shared with other people, including another Pasco County school employee. 

A following investigtion revealed that Ritsema targeted other minors, including former students, and enticed them for sex, even sexually abusing them. 

During the investigation, authorities also found that Ritsema is HIV positive and had not disclosed his status.

Before becoming the assistant principal at Cypress Creek Middle High School in March 2017, he was the assistant principal at Pine View Middle School, starting in July 2015, and had worked at a number of schools prior to that since 2006. 

“Our communities are safer today with this deviant child sexual predator behind bars, thanks to our HSI special agents, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Middle District Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This criminal’s former position of trust makes this case all the more egregious and we hope today’s sentencing can bring a small measure of closure to the innocent victims and their families.”

Authorities urge anyone who had unprotected sexual contact with Ritsema or knows someone who may have been a possible child victim, to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or click here to submit a tip