According to court documents obtained by Action News, 64-year-old John Soffa is accused of storing more than 2,000 images, many of which depict children in sexually explicit situations.
The investigation began in December 2024, when a witness reported seeing Soffa take photos of teen athletes during a wrestling tournament held at the school. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper responded and interviewed Soffa, allegedly discovering numerous sexual images on his phone.
"The images were intermingled with photographs of what appeared to be children," the criminal complaint states.
Soffa allegedly admitted to collecting images of children in swimsuits for over a year and told police he believed some of the children could be as young as five years old.
Soffa was charged this week and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m.
The school district released this statement to Action News regarding Soffa's arrest:
"We were made aware of criminal charges brought against an individual who was previously employed by the District as a school custodian. The district is aware of an incident involving this individual that occurred in December 2024 during a community organization's wrestling tournament held at the school. Pennsylvania State Police responded to the scene, and the employee was immediately removed from the premises. The individual was placed on leave when the incident occurred and did not return to work. Their employment with the district was subsequently terminated.
At this time, we are unaware of any connection between the charges the former employee is facing and district students. The safety and security of every child remain our highest priority."
Correction: The original version of this article had an incorrect age for Soffa