Former Springfield Twp. substitute teacher, PIAA coach charged with child sexual abuse, trafficking
Former Springfield Twp. substitute teacher, PIAA coach charged with child sexual abuse, trafficking
Tyler Degiacomo, a 33-year-old former Springfield Township School District substitute teacher and PIAA baseball coach, is facing numerous charges relating to the sexual abuse and trafficking of at least four minors in Pennsylvania and Alabama.
SPRINGFIELD TWP., Pa. - A 33-year-old man from Oreland is facing numerous charges relating to the sexual abuse and trafficking of minors.
On Monday, the Springfield Township Police Department announced the arrest of Tyler Degiacomo, 33 for his alleged role in the trafficking of minors and sexual abuse of children relating to at least four victims in Pennsylvania and Alabama.
According to investigators, in March 2024, a concerned parent reported to police that she located child sexual abuse material on her daughter’s phone that was sent to a man in his 30’s named "Tyler" by text message.
Detectives later identified the man as 33-year-old Degiacomo, a former substitute teacher and volunteer with the School District of Springfield Township and a PIAA umpire and baseball coach.
After executing several search warrants and through the use of digital forensic examinations of electronic devices, four victims were identified by Springfield Township detectives.
Two of the victims are from Montgomery County, who Degiacomo is alleged to have been involved with sexually and in the production of transmission of child sexual abuse materials.
They located another victim in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, where Degiacomo is alleged to have exchanged money for child sexual abuse material, and a fourth victim was located in Houston County, Alabama, where Degiacomo is alleged to have coerced the victim into sending child sexual abuse material.
Each alleged victim was contacted by Degiacomo on the social media apps TikTok and/or Snapchat.
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Degiacomo has been charged with trafficking in minors, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility, indecent assault, and furnishing alcohol to minors.
In a letter that the Springfield School District sent to parents, the superintendent of schools says Degiacomo was contracted through a substitute teaching service in 2018-2019.
Additionally, according to the letter, he volunteered briefly in the district’s drama department until "a parent complaint and subsequent investigation yielded enough concern that we chose to remove Mr. Degiacomo as a volunteer in March 2019 and requested that the sub service no longer assign him to our district. The district’s reported complaint did not come close to approaching the level of the charges now before him. We reported the results of our investigation to all appropriate agencies at that time."
He was arraigned on Saturday and bail was set at $500,000 cash. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9am on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
Springfield Township Police Detectives are asking for assistance in identifying any additional victims in this matter.
Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Stephen Craig at (215)836-1601 x 1232.