Kentucky Religion Teacher Used Student Yearbook Photos to Create Fake Sexual Images, Police Say

Jordan Fautz is a former Louisville, Kentucky religion class teacher who is accused of using Photoshop to manipulate school yearbook photos of students into “child sexual abuse materials,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to a February 2 statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued “charging a Louisville school teacher with distributing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and distributing child pornography.”

According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Fautz is accused “of using Photoshop to alter images of nude females to include school yearbook photos of several students and at least one adult.”

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement, the release says.

Here’s what you need to know:

Authorities Say Jordan Faust Morphed or Photoshopped the Images With ‘Original Child Sexual Abuse Materials’

MugshotJordan Faust.

According to the DOJ’s statement, in December 2023 and January 2024, Jordan A. Fautz, 39, “while employed as a 7th and 8th grade religion teacher at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic School in Louisville, Kentucky, distributed child sexual abuse materials to a law enforcement officer working online undercover.”

“Certain of these materials had been manipulated by morphing or photoshopping original child sexual abuse materials with other, non-explicit images of minors,” the release says.

“For example, in one such instance, the nude image of a minor victim depicted her face transposed by means of photoshop or morphing technology onto a different nude female’s body, effectively generating child sexual abuse material,” the release says.

If convicted on the charges in the complaint, Fautz “faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and maximum potential penalties of 40 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors,” the statement says.

Jordan Faust, Described as a ‘Self-Proclaimed Nerd,’ Is Accused of Using People’s Real Names on Some of the ‘Morphed Images’

The Courier-Journal reported that Faust is accused of using the real name of two people “in morphed images,” and also “altered images and videos of students naked and/or taking part in sexual acts.”

The Archdiocese of Louisville told the Courier-Journal that Fautz was a “part-time religion teacher and member of the maintenance staff at the parish for 9 years.” He taught the 7th and 8th grades, according to WHAS11.

According to WHAS11, on one instance, “a student’s image was photoshopped onto a nude female’s body.”

WDRB-TV reported that Fautz previously chaperoned a student field trip to Washington D.C.

“It’s just a sad thing, especially when it was someone who’s always been kind of involved with the school in some way and kind of grew up in a way it’s just a sad thing to see,” said Aidan Riggs to WDRB. “You have to come together as community to and look out for those in need and this time and just keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.”

“He was kind of a self proclaimed nerd in a way he is very into like sci fi and he’s big Ghostbusters guy, but nothing anywhere like this was imaginable in anyone’s eyes,” Riggs said to the television station.