Police: For 30 Years, Teacher Secretly Recorded Teens Having Sex

April 9, 2009 — -- Over the last 30 years, a Nashville, Tenn., teacher invited teenagers over to his house, gave them drugs and alcohol and secretly recorded them having sex, according to local police and federal prosecutors.

Louis J. Levine, 52, who taught in several Nashville-area schools and had worked at youth camps and a local science museum, was arrested Tuesday on child pornography charges and allegedly admitted to at least one incident of recording a teen performing a sex act.

Police and federal prosecutors say they continue to investigate Levine, who allegedly invited students over to drink and do drugs and then allowed them to use a small building behind his house known as the "Little House" to have sex, which he secretly recorded.

Levine also recorded sexual activity in a room inside the house called the "Isolation Chamber," which contained a water bed covered with a wooden box, according to a statement released by Nashville police.

Levine was charged in federal court with producing child pornography. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Friday morning. Police say they also expect to file state charges against Levine.

Levine has not entered a formal plea and has been held in police custody since his arrest.

"He hasn't been indicted, much less convicted, and our office looks forward to defending him against these charges," said Levine's defense lawyer, Hugh Mundy, who added he will ask a judge to release Levine on bail at Friday's hearing. "All we have are accusations right now."

Nashville police refused to comment on the charges or the investigation outside of the press release.

On some occasions, Levine allegedly gave the teens drugs, including marijuana and ecstasy, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

The alleged incidents are believed to have occurred over a period of three decades, and several adults who were teenagers during the 1970s and '80s told police similar stories of drugs and sex at Levine's home, according to the police.

When confronted by detectives, Levine allegedly admitted to secretly taping a boy masturbating and then climbing into bed with the boy.

"Society looks at this differently than I do," Levine allegedly said, according to the complaint.

Police say that when they searched Levine's house, they found more than 400 homemade tapes. According to an affidavit from a Nashville police detective, a tape found in Levine's camcorder had footage of people who appeared to be teenagers engaged in sex acts.