A former Pine-Richland School District athletic trainer has been charged with secretly filming male students in locker rooms and bathrooms, according to state police.
Samuel Elliot Fischer, 34, faces child pornography charges for the allegations in connection with Pine-Richland and other school districts. He recorded boys in locker rooms in Pine-Richland while he worked there between 2014 and 2019, according to state police.
The Erie man is charged with photographing, filming or depicting computer sex acts; disseminating photo or film of child sex acts; child pornography; unlawful contact with a minor and sexual abuse of children; photographing a person without consent; and invasion of privacy.
Police said they began investigating Fischer in January 2023 after they received a call from Owen J. Roberts High School in Chester County, where Fischer served as a student teacher. A student noticed Fischer’s phone in his back pocket was facing members of the school’s wrestling team as they showered in the locker room, according to a criminal affidavit.
As police investigated, they found numerous photos and videos, some containing nudity, on Fischer’s personal devices and USB drives dating back to December 2015.
Among these files were scenes from locker rooms at Pine-Richland High School depicting students “in various states of undress” and a file containing nudity from a bathroom at Pine-Richland Middle School.
In a statement released Jan. 8, Pine-Richland School District said Fischer was employed through a “third-party contractor,” which also was responsible for Fischer’s school clearance requirements.
“The district had not received any notifications regarding this person’s alleged conduct prior to recently being contacted by the Pennsylvania State Police,” the statement said.
Fischer’s preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 23 before District Judge John A. Hipple in Chester County. He was released on $100,000 bail.