Former New York Teacher Convicted of Sexually Abusing and Starving Children

Prosecutors presented evidence that Geer imposed extreme disciplinary measures on students, including food deprivation, sexual abuse, confinement, and forced physical labor.

A former teacher at a now-closed private boarding school in Hancock, New York, has been convicted on multiple federal charges related to child exploitation.

Paul Geer, 57, was found guilty by a federal jury on two counts of coercing minors to travel across state lines for illegal sexual activity and two counts of transporting minors for that purpose. The jury, which deliberated after a two-week trial, could not reach a unanimous verdict on two additional charges.

Geer taught at the Family Foundation School, a private institution that operated from approximately 1992 to 2014. Prosecutors presented evidence that Geer imposed extreme disciplinary measures on students, including food deprivation, confinement, and forced physical labor. Witnesses testified that in 1994 and 2001, Geer used his authority at the school to manipulate two students into traveling with him—one to Maine and the other to Toronto, Canada—where he then sexually abused them.

Following the conviction, Geer was taken into custody and now faces sentencing on July 9, 2025, in Albany. Each of the coercion charges carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, while each transportation charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. Geer could also face fines of up to $250,000 per count and supervised release of up to five years.

The case was investigated by the FBI, with support from the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative aimed at combatting child exploitation.