Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 17:
Shaler man arrested on child pornography charges
An online user known as “creepjoe” suspected of trading child pornography has been identified as Andrew Britsch, 32, of Shaler.
He was arraigned Friday on five felony counts of possession of child pornography and one felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.
A criminal complaint stated detectives with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office acted on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to eventually pinpoint Britsch’s location and seize all electronic devices in his home.
Police said they questioned Britsch in his basement, where he admitted to viewing the illicit materials described by detectives on the messenger app Kik.
He turned himself in Friday. Following arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance and awaits a preliminary hearing Sept. 26.
New rules announced for Cupples Stadium
Starting Thursday, Pittsburgh Public Schools will enforce additional safety measures for football games at Cupples Stadium in the city’s South Side.
All high school students, whether they attend Pittsburgh Public Schools or not, must present a student ID before entering. Younger students must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21.
Home and away gates will close at the start of the 3rd quarter. Finally, no outside food, drinks or drinking containers, like Yeti bottles, will be allowed, except for unopened disposable water bottles.
The changes come after a man was shot outside the Wolvarena Stadium in Turtle Creek last month during a Woodland Hills-Penn Hills football game.
School janitor facing drug charges
A McKeesport Area School District janitor is facing misdemeanor charges after police said they found hundreds of stamp bags of suspected heroin or fentanyl on him.
In a criminal complaint, McKeesport officer Ilija Tubin said he noticed a vehicle parked by Founders’ Hall Middle School just after midnight Aug. 30 with its lights on. An officer approached the driver, Jason Tom, who said he had finished work and was preparing to go home.
Tubin noted suspicious behavior from Tom, 42, of North Versailles, and asked him to exit the vehicle. He then admitted to having stamp bags in his pocket and was taken into custody, Tubin said.
Officers later counted approximately 260 bags of suspected heroin or fentanyl, according to the complaint.
Tom’s preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 28.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering the Freeport Area and Kiski Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on Penn Hills municipal affairs. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at jtroy@triblive.com.