Prison likely for former Groton school superintendent caught with child porn

Paul Kadri, the fired former Groton school superintendent who moved to Colombia to start an internet sex webcam business, pleaded guilty this week to one count of transportation of child pornography.

Kadri, caught at a Florida airport in 2021 with child porn on a thumb drive, faces a likely term of five years in prison. Federal prosecutors recommended the sentence as part of a plea agreement reached with Kadri in exchange for his guilty plea. The prison term will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and registration on a sex offender registry.

Kadri entered the plea as part of a signed agreement Thursday at U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Federal prosecutors have agreed to dismiss one count of child porn possession when he is sentenced in January.

Kadri was arrested on Sept. 20, 2021 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where he had arrived from Panama City, Panama. His bags were being inspected by the Customs and Border Protection Officer when they found electronic devices in his baggage, federal authorities said. While Kadri was waiting in an area monitored by video surveillance, he was spotted reaching into his luggage and removing a pair of pliers.

Kadri proceeded to destroy several thumb drives he had in his possession. When he was detained and questioned, Kadri at first told officers the thumb drives contained personal items with his girlfriend he did not want anyone to see.

During a pat down, however, “Kadri spontaneously stated that he believed he was detained because of sexual activities he was having with underage females,” according to the indictment in the case.

Kadri, at one point during questioning, became upset and asked one officer for a gun to kill himself. He was place in restraints and during further questioning, Kadri said he had a two-year work visa and moved to Colombia for school and to start a web cam business where he would rent out space for girls to perform sex acts on the internet.

Kadri admitted to having about 17 girls living in the space but claimed they were all at least 18.

In the electronic equipment seized from Kadri, , investigators said they found 10 images of child exploitation material – children under the age of 18 in sexual situations. One of the images was of a naked child under the age of 12.

He told investigators he had moved to Colombia in 2015 because of the problems he had while working in Connecticut as a school superintendent.

Kadri served as superintendent in Groton Public Schools between 2008 and 2013.

His stay in Groton was a tumultuous one with several of his employees claiming harassment, bullying and generally abusive behavior towards women there. The town settled a lawsuit filed by a former assistant superintendent in 2010 and Kadri was placed on leave in 2012. One if his former assistants claimed she carried mace to work to protect herself from Kadri. He was fired and barred from school property in 2013.

There was never any allegation of improper conduct with children during Kadri’s time in Groton.

Kadri has been held in prison since his arrest last year and federal authorities, during a preliminary hearing in April, said they considered Kadri a flight risk considering his extensive travels abroad. Kadri has traveled to the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. Some of the countries are known for sex tourism and child exploitation. Kadri claims to have been involved with a company called Rose Brides, an international dating company.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan 5. before U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal.

The crime of transportation of child pornography carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison with a minimum mandatory of five years in prison, along with fines. Federal prosecutors said they would recommend a reduction of the maximum at sentencing based on “the defendant’s recognition and affirmative and timely acceptance of personal responsibility.”

Federal prosecutors and the attorney representing Kadri did not respond to a request for comment.

G.smith@theday.com