Seneca Valley Teacher To Stand Trial For Child Porn Possession
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A Seneca Valley Middle School math teacher accused of possessing child pornography appeared in court Tuesday morning.
Jonathan Brecht, 26, waived his preliminary hearing and will now stand trial.
Brecht was found to be "sex chatting" with an underage girl online. In the chat, he allegedly asked the minor if she wanted to have sex. The girl was reportedly between the ages of 12 and 14.
When confronted about the conversation, he admitted to it and stated that it was a bad lack of judgement.
Brecht eventually agreed to turn over two hard drives. On the hard drives, detectives found sexual images of children.
Police say the crimes occurred from the Franklin Park home he shares with his mother, hiding his identity online. Investigators say he told them it was easier to chat online posing as a woman.
The discovery of the alleged child pornography will be challenged, says Brecht's lawyer.
"We're waiting for a full forensic review of the computer," said defense attorney David Shrager. "It's my belief it's going to exonerate my client. We need that before we can proceed appropriately with a defense."
Suspended Seneca Valley teacher Jonathan Brecht headed for child porn trial but lawyer says closer look at computer could clear him
— Harold Hayes (@hhayes_harold) February 23, 2016
What the defense plans to challenge is not that there were photos discovered on his computer, but the nature of those photos.
"Certainly, we don't dispute that there are photos," said Shrager. "The question is what are the photos, and we believe they are not contraband nor are they illegal."
When investigators charged him, they didn't know he was a Seneca Valley teacher. That launched an investigation about whether any laws were broken in Butler County in his capacity as a math teacher.
So far, according to Brecht's attorney, no additional charges have been filed.
Brecht has been suspended from the school without pay.
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