PINE RICHLAND, Pa. (KDKA) – A man who worked in two Pennsylvania school districts is facing child pornography charges after investigators say he recorded boys in the locker room.
Pennsylvania State Police said the investigation into 34-year-old Samuel Elliot Fischer began in 2023 after investigators received a tip about him while he was a student teacher at the Owen J. Roberts School District in Chester County. During the investigation, police said they learned Fischer had recorded students in the locker room.
While looking through the files, investigators said they realized some of the photos had been taken at the Pine-Richland School District in Allegheny County, where the district said he worked as an athletic trainer from 2014 to 2019.
Trooper Rocco Gagliardi with Troop B said Fischer took photos and videos at both Pine-Richland middle school and high school. Students participating in multiple sports were recorded, Gagliardi said, and investigators are still reviewing the footage.
In a letter to families Wednesday, the Pine-Richland School District said it was recently contacted by Pennsylvania State Police about allegations against a former athletic trainer.
Pine-Richland said Fischer was employed through a third-party contractor who was responsible for ensuring all his approval requirements were met. The district said it had received no reports of his conduct before being contacted by Pennsylvania State Police.
Gagliardi said the photos were taken over a period of several years and investigators had to go through yearbooks to find victims so police could contact them.
Gagliardi said Troop J investigators are still looking at photos and finding new files. Currently, Fischer is facing 35 different charges related to child pornography, two dozen of which are felonies, according to Gagliardi.
