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Francis Anonia, 43, of Allentown, was accused of using his cell phone to secretly record a student changing clothes while he was in the Parkland High School auditorium on Monday, Oct. 14, as detailed by the Allentown police in the affidavit of probable cause.
The student, who is now 21 years old, was 18 when the recordings were made in the auditorium's changing rooms in April 2021, according to the criminal complaint.
Five videos were found on the phone showing Anonia placing his phone in an "obscure location" on a shelf in the dressing room, as stated in the court documents.
One of the videos shows Anonia placing the phone on a shelf in front of a mirror where the student can be seen changing outfits, according to the court documents. Screenshots from this video were also found on Anonia's phone.
The student reported the incident to a teacher who then filed a Childline Referral to get authorities involved, the criminal complaint states.
Anonia was charged with the following offenses:
- Felony Intercept Communications (five counts).
- Felony Criminal Use of Communication Facility (five counts).
- Misdemeanor Invasion of Privacy (nine counts).
He is currently awaiting a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 21, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office. He's being held in Lehigh County Jail on $50,000 bail.
An unrelated investigation is ongoing involving Anonia and his fiancé, William Marshall, according to the criminal complaint.
Marshall, 29, pleaded guilty to Child Pornography charges and was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in Lehigh County Prison on Thursday, April 11, court documents state.
Anonia was the Verizon subscriber for the IP address police needed to search Marshall's phone, which contained photographs and videos of children engaged in sex acts, according to LehighValleyNews.
Marshall is a 2013 graduate of Parkland High School and was involved in Parkland's theater program as a student under Anonia, the outlet explained.
Police had Anonia's phone in their possession because of the investigation into Marshall, the Lehigh County District Attorney said. The phone hadn't been searched during that investigation because Anonia wasn't a suspect at the time. However, Anonia never requested his phone back from police. When the investigation into Anonia began on Tuesday, April 2, police obtained a court order to search the phone, leading to the current charges.
Anonia also testified in a lawsuit brought by five former students against another former Parkland School District teacher, Christian Willman, on Wednesday, April 17, according to a separate report by LehighValleyNews.
Marshall had been charged in 2019 for sexually assaulting students and pleaded guilty to abusing six girls in January 2020, court records show. He was sentenced to six to 12 years in state prison.
The Parkland School District responded to the Daily Voice's request for comment with an email that had initially been sent to parents following the publication of a story about Anonia in the Morning Call. The school board had initiated its own investigation into Anonia based on allegations against him, but the board wouldn't reveal what the allegations were, only calling them "disturbing and inexcusable." During the investigation, he was placed on administrative leave "effectively removing him from the school community," as written in the statement. The board accepted his resignation on Tuesday, Oct. 18. He is still a certified teacher, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The school board wrote:
"These swift measures align with our protocol when alleged misconduct by staff or students comes to our attention, ensuring that appropriate investigations and safeguards are promptly implemented."
The board added that students' "physical and emotional safety will continue to be the first priority" of the school district.
Parents with information related to the charges against Anonia should contact the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office.
The district's counselors are also available for students.
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