A former Milwaukee teacher and coach is facing two federal charges related to child sexual abuse images, according to court documents filed in Florida district court.
Authorities say Patrick Conor Russell, a 37-year-old teacher in south Florida, told federal agents he has never touched a child inappropriately but said he engaged in inappropriate conversations about children, some of which were sexual in nature, and requested images and videos of minors. He told agents he has been "battling" this for a while, the complaint said.
The FBI arrested Russell on federal charges involving the receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material.
The complaint, filed May 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, said Russell told another user on a private messaging app that he was a teacher and coach and wanted to find someone who could “bait” the students at his school into sending nude pictures.
Russell appeared to have sent the user images of students at his school and made sexually explicit comments about them, according to the complaint.
Before relocating to Florida, Russell worked in multiple educational and athletic positions within Milwaukee-area Catholic schools. The schools include Marquette University High School and Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, as well as Carmen Southeast High School, a public charter school, according to the advocacy group Nate's Mission.
In a statement, a Marquette High School spokesperson said Russell was a former assistant football and lacrosse coach from 2018 to 2024.
"Based on the information currently available, the reported charges relate to his time in Florida," the spokesperson said. "The charges do not indicate misconduct involving MUHS students, and we have not received any reports or allegations involving Mr. Russell during his time as assistant coach."
"We have also contacted the former students and families of teams that he coached," the spokesperson said. "The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority, and we encourage anyone who may have more information or concerns to report them and contact law enforcement."
In a news release, Nate's Mission, an advocacy group aiming to end clergy abuse in Wisconsin, urged state authorities to investigate Russell's work in the Milwaukee area.
"Wisconsin law does not require religious institutions to report suspected child abuse or related misconduct in the same manner as many other organizations serving children, creating significant gaps in accountability and oversight," the group said. "As a result, there is no assurance that allegations, concerns, or potential crimes would have been reported to law enforcement or disclosed when employees moved between institutions."
Caroline Clancy, a public affairs officer for the FBI's Milwaukee office, said the case is being handled in the Southern District of Florida and referred questions there.
Nate's Mission also referenced a series of sexual abuse cases within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and past attempts to cover up misconduct. The group said law enforcement should independently review any serious allegations involving Catholic clergy or educators to determine whether earlier warning signs or victims may be connected to the case.
Russell is scheduled to appear in federal court June 12 for a preliminary hearing or arraignment, according to online court records.
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla Huynh's reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2026/06/05/patrick-russell-former-milwaukee-teacher-arrested-by-fbi-in-florida/90405332007/
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