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Joseph G. Ohrt, 57, a Buckingham resident and one-time choir director at Central Bucks West High School, stood accused of two counts of indecent assault, two counts of corrupting minors, two counts of invading privacy, and one count of evidence tampering, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
Ohrt was first charged on Feb. 8, after police investigators said he'd used hidden cameras in his home to record a male student changing clothes. One video showed the victim naked, authorities said.
According to the DA's office, the teacher asked another student to dispose of the video equipment, but the student became suspicious and turned the devices over to Central Bucks Regional police.
Continued investigation revealed several allegations of inappropriate physical contact by students dating back to the early 1990s.
One of the students, aged 11, said Ohrt had molested them at school, and a second, aged 13, said he was inappropriately touched while babysitting for the teacher.
“Mr. Ohrt’s crimes are all the more egregious because of the high level of public trust conferred upon him by his status as a teacher for decades,” DA Matt Weintraub said. “He perverted that trust by preying upon the very children he was entrusted to nurture, educate and care for.”
Ohrt is awaiting sentencing, and will undergo review by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, officials added. He will remain on the sex offenders registry for 15 years.
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