Penn-Delco school counselor charged for child sex abuse materials: district
DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. - A local school district is alerting its staff and parents to a "serious matter" involving one of their employees.
"Given our commitment to transparency and ongoing communication with the community, and as a result of the public release of a charging document, I am now able to share with deep concern that one of our middle school counselors, Mr. Siegel, has been charged with crimes related to the possession of child pornography," Dr. George Steinhoff, Penn-Delco Superintendent of Schools, said in a letter to the community.
The district says when they were first made aware of the alleged criminal activity no charges had been filed, and no timeline of potential charges was provided.
"The district was given no notice that charges had indeed recently been filed and learned of it secondhand," Steinhoff said.
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However, the district says police did assure them that none of the crimes happened on school property, and did not involve any current or former students.
Siegel was immediately removed from the school, placed on leave, and has had no contact with students, according to the district, who says that all of his certifications and background checks are current.
Counselors and school psychologists have been made available to all students while the school searches for a new counselor to take Siegel's place pending an investigation.