Fmr. Delaware County teacher sentenced for sexually assaulting students

DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- A former second grade teacher in Delaware County, charged with sexually assaulting a dozen young students, was sentenced on Tuesday.

55-year-old Paul Hochschwender will spend one to two years in state prison, along with a 10 year probation and a lifetime registration as a sexually violent predator.

Hochschwender pleaded guilty earlier this year to inappropriately touching young girls at Darby Township Elementary School in Glenolden.

More and more victims have been coming forward during the course of the investigation.

On Tuesday morning prosecutors referenced 12 victims. All are pre-pubescent girls.

All the offenses took place over a 14-year period.

Tuesday's sentencing hearing began with prosecutors adding two additional counts of Corruption of a Minor.

Then an expert witness, psychologist Melanie Cerone, was called for the prosecution.

She testified that Hochschwender used his position as a teacher and trusted adult to gain access and exploit his victims' trust in multiple classrooms in multiple schools, most recently at Darby Township Elementary School in Glenolden.

Cerone testified her findings indicate he groomed his victims - whispering to them, giving them candy - and that behavior escalated to touching of a sexual nature: touching their chest, genitalia and buttocks, in most cases over their clothes.

The ages of the victims mentioned in court Tuesday range in age from 6 to 10 years old.

Hochschwender has turned in his teaching certificate and is not able to teach again. He voluntarily surrendered earlier this year to begin serving his time, and Tuesday morning his attorney moved for immediate sentencing.