Douglas Penglase, 37, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.
Action News has learned Penglase was also a civilian employee of the Hatboro Police Department. He has been let go from both jobs.
Doug Penglase
The investigation began after the social media platform Kik reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user was using the platform to transmit child porn.
Investigators obtained a search warrant to examine the account, and allegedly recovered hundreds of files. They allegedly depicted some children who appeared to be toddlers, while others are believed to be between 8 and 12 years old.
There were also more than one thousand messages between Penglase and other Kik users, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said Wednesday.
If convicted, Penglase faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The district said in a statement that it was notified on Wednesday morning about Penglase's arrest.
School officials say he worked as a co-curricular employee for Upper Moreland High School, but the district said Penglase is no longer employed there.
We've learned he was the percussion head with the high school's marching band.
He was hired in 2020 and had no prior record that would have precluded his hiring, Superintendent Sue Elliott said in a statement.
Elliott said the district is not aware of any inappropriate interactions between Penglase and students, nor are they aware of any improper use of the school district's network.
"The District had not received any complaints or concerns from students or staff regarding his conduct," Elliott said.
Investigators say the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.