A former Santa Maria-Bonita School District substitute teacher faces four charges in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court in a case alleging possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Gregory A. Kornman
Gregory Allen Kornman Credit: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office photo

Gregory Allen Kornman, 54, of Nipomo has been charged with two felonies: possession of matter depicting a minor engaging in sexual conduct and possession of matter depicting  a minor engaging in sexual conduct with more than 600 mages and portraying sexual sadism and masochism. 

In addition to having more than 600 items, 10 or more images involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not reached 12 years of age.

At 11 p.m. March 13, deputies with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office on routine patrol contacted the occupant of a vehicle that was parked on the side of the road near Los Berros Road and Highway 101 in Nipomo.

Further investigation revealed the driver was in possession of child pornography on his phone.

The criminal complaint also includes a misdemeanor count of engaging in lewd conduct in a public place and misdemeanor being under the influence of a controlled substance. 

Kornman was a substitute teacher in grades K-8 for the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.

He was last employed as a substitute teacher by the district on Jan. 27 and is no longer affiliated with the district, Santa Maria-Bonita officials said in a written statement.

Kornman has held an emergency 30-day substitute teaching permit since August 2022, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The current permit issued Sept. 1, 2024, expires Sept. 1, 2025.

“This permit authorizes the holder to serve as a substitute teacher for not more than thirty days for any one teacher during a school year in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. The holder may serve on this permit in any county in which the document is registered provided the employing agency has a statement of need on file for the school year,” the state agency said.

The criminal case is scheduled to return to court March 25 for a pre-preliminary hearing, with the preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for March 27.

Kornman remains in the custody of the San Luis Obispo County Jail without bail. 

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.