MIFFLINBURG — A Mifflinburg Area School District office aide has been charged with four felony counts of child pornography and three felony counts of dissemination photo/film of child sex acts, as the result of alleged incidents which occurred between Dec. 26 and May 18 in Sunbury.
Brendan Stepp, 25, of Sunbury, has been charged through the office of District Judge Michael Toomey as the result of the alleged incidents. Stepp is listed on the Mifflinbug Area School District website as being an aide in the district.
On Thursday, the district issued a statement noting the arrest of an unnamed employee.
“We are working with the authorities as they continue their investigation,” the release stated. “This person is no longer in, nor has access to our schools, and it does not appear that any illegal conduct occurred while in our schools.”
According to a criminal complaint filed by Tpr. James Ballantyne, troopers received a cyber tip Dec. 26 and Dec. 28 which flagged seven images containing child pornography as being downloaded.
Ballantyne wrote in court documents that an IP address allegedly used to download the material was traced back to Stepp.
Members of the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a warrant on Stepp’s home May 18, court documents state.
A 19-second video containing child pornography was allegedly found on Stepp’s iPad.
“During the interview, Stepp admitted to receiving, viewing, saving and disseminating child sexual abuse material,” Ballantyne wrote, in court documents. “Stepp further admitted to these images and videos being under the age of 18 and as young as the age of 8.”
A preliminary hearing for Stepp has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. May 30.
Stepp is currently free on $25,000 bail, online court records indicate.
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