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A driving school instructor has been arrested after police say he showed porn to three teenage students during a lesson in Smithtown — and investigators are now asking whether other young drivers may have also been victimized.
Police arrested Mitchell Lerner, 75, of Melville, at his home Sunday afternoon following an investigation by the Suffolk Police’s Third Precinct investigative unit.
Lerner works for Defensive Driving School, located on Wheeler Road in Central Islip.
Police said they began investigating Lerner after receiving a tip about his conduct during a Dec. 22 driving lesson. Lerner was driving in Smithtown while instructing three 16-year-old boys when he allegedly showed them pornographic videos and images on a phone, cops said.
Charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, Lerner was issued a desk appearance ticket and will appear at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.
Investigators asked that anyone who may have additional information — or who believes they or their child may have been affected by Lerner’s conduct — contact the Third Precinct investigative unit at 631.854.8326.
Top: Defensive Driving School in Central Islip (Google Maps Street View)
