newjerseynewsroom.com

A former priest and 2003 "Educator of the Year,'' who prosecutors say shared child pornography images on nearly 30 Internet chatrooms, has been sentenced to almost five years in federal prison.

Joseph Macanga, who taught sixth-grade social studies and language arts at Lumberton Middle School in southern Jersey's Burlington County, was sentenced Wednesday on pornography possession charges, according to a report by wcbstv.com.

He was also ordered to serve five years' probation after his release.

Macanga, who pleaded guilty in November 2008, had admitted to downloading numerous child porn images onto his home computer between October 2006 and Oct. 11, 2007. Investigators from the FBI's Innocent Images initiative had identified Macanga as a participant in a chatroom visited by pedophiles, and the agency seized his computer. Officials said no local students were involved.

The former Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest graduated from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., and was ordained in 1986. The archdiocese said he voluntarily left active ministry in 1995, phillyburbs.com reported.

The 55-year-old township man, who taught in the district for 10 years and also coached girls' soccer and basketball, is free on $100,000 bond until a surrender date is set. He then will serve a 57-month term.

— SUZANNE POPADIN, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM