Crime & Safety

Former Chesco Teacher Facing Child Porn Charges

Joseph Fortunato resigned his teaching position Monday.

A Lancaster County man who until Monday taught at Devon Prep has been arrested and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

Joseph Fortunato resigned from Devon Prep on April 21, the state Attorney General's Office said. He had taught science, math and computer science at the school since 1998, Devon Prep said.

Authorities tracking peer-to-peer sharing of child pornography traced some of those images to an IP address belonging to Fortunato, Attorney General Kathleen Kane said. A search warrant was executed at Fortunato's Lancaster home on April 17, and authorities seized a desktop computer and an external hard drive, both of which were found to contain child pornography, Kane said.

Fortunato faces 20 counts of possession of child pornography, eight counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility, the Attorney General's Office said.

Devon Prep said in a statement that none of the allegations involve any students, and that the school had never received any complaints about Fortunato. 

The school is cooperating fully with the Attorney General's investigation, it said, and urged any students who might have information vital to the case to contact the state Attorney General's Office. 

The case will be prosecuted in Lancaster County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones of the Attorney General's Child Predator Section, the Attorney General's Office said.




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