A Liberace-obsessed politics teacher allegedly posed online as a teenage boy and dished out thousand-dollar payments in return for nude photos and selfies. Jon Cruz, who works at the Bronx High School of Science in New York City, is accused of grooming at least four boys through the Kik messaging app and bribing them to send the photos. Cruz, 31, has been charged with luring minors into sexual conduct as well as soliciting and possessing child pornography, and appeared in court Friday. Scroll down for chat logs seized by the FBI . Charges: Jon Cruz, who teaches in the Bronx, allegedly posed online as a teenager and paid large sums of money for nude photos, 'thumbs-up selfies' and pictures of feet from boys as young as 12 . Big fan: Cruz's social media presence shows him dressed repeatedly as Liberace. He is pictured left in full costume, and right inside a classroom . It came after an FBI found chat logs and internet records they say link Cruz to four boys between the age of 12 and 15, according to the New York Post. Social media profiles belonging to the teacher also show Cruz dressing up repeatedly as Liberace, even donning the costume around school. In some posts he referred to himself as 'Cruzerace'. He allegedly posed as a rich 16-year-old using photographs of an old Bronx Science student and started offering hundreds of dollars at a time for photos - and even sent some of the messages from school premises. Two of the boys are said to have sent him naked photographs, while two others allegedly sent suggestive pictures showing the bodies and faces, posed according to his instructions. Chat logs obtained by FBI agents, and linked to Cruz, show him talking repeatedly about feet and asking the boys to play up how much of a 'popular jock' they are. He also asks for 'thumbs-up selfies' on more than one occasion. In exchange, he sent Visa and American Express gift cards worth as much as $1,600, while asking his victims for the names of more boys he could pursue, according to a criminal complaint. Agents investigating Cruz also claim he tried repeatedly to engage in sexual conversations with the boys, some of which are too explicit to reproduce. The complaint said that one victim was a 15-year-old boy from New Mexico. It alleges that after paying him $900 for pictures of his feet and face, he convinced the boy to send him a cache of at least five nude pictures, posed in his bathroom, in exchange for $450. Gift cards: Cruz allegedly handed over gift cards worth thousands of dollars in total to at least four victims. He is pictured above with a waxwork of Liberace . Work: Cruz taught AP United States Government & Politics with Economics at The Bronx High School of Science . Speaking to another 15-year-old in the state he requested 'weird foot pictures' and eventually paid more than $800 for some 40 pictures - though none involved nudity. A third boy, aged 14, who lived in upstate New York, was also allegedly induced to send pictures. The FBI obtained some of their chat logs, which show him being asked repeatedly for pictures. Though the third boy wasn't asked for nude images, he was allegedly asked to recreate overtly sexual situations. Messages published in the criminal complaint show Cruz allegedly asking for 'really cocky shirtless mirror shots'. He was also asked to include 'stuff in your room that shows you're a preppy, popular jock'. Upon searching his East Village apartment, FBI agents say they found another 20 nude pictures of a fourth boy, who they believe to be just 12 or 13 years old. According to the FBI claims, when Cruz was arrested  he admitted he was behind the messages and payments. He is being held in jail on a $1million bond. A schools spokesman said Cruz, who earns more than $60,000 a year, has not been fired, but was removed from the class after his arrest. These messages were obtained by the FBI from a cell phone belonging to one of the victims. Those labelled 'Cruz' below came from an account which the FBI linked to him via internet logs. THUMBS-UP SELFIES . Cruz: 'One more thumbs up selfie for now so I know you're still excited? I assume you're cool doing pictures and chatting later?' .... 'PICTURES JUST HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON ME' Cruz: Can I keep asking things and asking for specific pix requests? I just want to make sure, the pics are between us, right? Victim: [Sends photo] Sure but I still know why u [sic] need all these pics? Cruz: Can I be honest? That shirt sums up why you get to take my money. You know? Victim: O yah lol . Cruz: Pictures just have a huge impact on me. Seeing your feet and face and muscles and room and awards and stuff reinforce what a big deal you are. Victim: Yah . Cruz: Now that you see I'm real we can be more honest about [redacted] and [redacted] and sex and stuff? I hope! Victim: OK . Cruz: I still have a lot of questions and feel like we have a lot to discuss. ... 'CAN I SEE YOUR FEET AGAIN?' Cruz: Can I see your feet again and would you flex muscles in some if I owes? And can I ask stuff? [Victim sends photos] . Cruz: Soles too. And a pic of your slides please. Calf muscles and arm muscles and chest/stomach/face? What do I have to pay for for lots of pics and chatting now? [Victim sends more photos] . Cruz: Wow. Can you do that in front of a mirror too? You have a six pack. That's crazy. Respect. Victim: Not in front of a mirror right now I'm in bed. Cruz: Can you go to the bathroom and use one? Victim: Sure what do you need a pic of? Cruz: Really cocky shirtless mirror shots. Close ups of muscles. Maybe point it at your crotch with your finger with an 'I'm a big deal' face. Keep taking muscles and feet and face pics. Like take a ton. ... 'I WAS THINKING A SPECIFIC ACT' Cruz: Socks and shoes off, bare feet on the floor, shorts and underwear crumpled on the floor around the jock's ankles. Victim: Sounds like sex to me. Cruz: I was thinking a specific act. Because feet probably wouldn't be on the floor for sex, though maybe. Victim: [Redacted] . Cruz: Yeah.
Jon Cruz, 31, allegedly used Kik messaging app to meet underage boys . FBI say he persuaded them by sending expensive gift cards . Chat logs show him asking for pictures of feet, and nudes, from 'jock' boys . Cruz, who teaches at a Bronx school, posts pictures of himself as Liberace . Arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes on Friday .