A former substitute teacher and baseball coach has been arrested on charges of trafficking minors and sexual abuse of children, according to the Springfield Township Police Department.
Tyler Degiacomo, 33, has been charged with trafficking minors, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility, indecent assault and furnishing alcohol to minors.
Degiacomo is facing these charges for his alleged role in trafficking and sexually abusing four minors in Pennsylvania and Alabama, officials said.
In March 2024, a concerned parent reported to police that she located child sexual abuse material on her daughter’s phone that was sent to a man in his 30s named “Tyler” via text message.
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Police say they found more than 100,000 communications between the two.
Investigators identified the man as Degiacomo, of Oreland, a former substitute teacher and volunteer with the School District of Springfield Township and a PIAA umpire and baseball coach.
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After several search warrants and through the use of digital forensic examinations of electronic devices, four victims were identified. Two victims are from Montgomery County, one is from Clarion County and the fourth is from Houston County, Alabama, officials said.
Each victim was contacted by Degiacomo on the social media apps TikTok, Snapchat or both, investigators said.
According to court documents Degiacomo pressured girls to comply with his demands and would offer them money or to buy them alcohol or vape pens.
In one case police say they discovered Degiacomo made contact with an Alabama teen via social media and told her to answer his messages or else.
Victims told the police they performed sex acts or other requests out of fear.
According to the Springfield Township School District Degiacomo worked in the district in 2019.
"Mr. Degiacomo volunteered with the STMS drama department briefly, before a parent complaint and subsequent investigation yielded enough concern that we chose to remove Mr. Degiacomo as a volunteer […] and requested that the sub service no longer assign him to our district," Springfield Township School District Superintendent Dr. MaryJo Yannacone wrote in a letter to staff members and families. "The district's reported complaint did not come close to approaching the level of the charges now before him."
Yannacone wrote that Degiacomo was never employed by the school district and that his alleged crimes never occurred within the school district schools or campuses.
"The district administration has cooperated fully with the STPD as they investigated their case, which was not brought to the attention of the district until recently, as the parent who reported the concern in March 2024 did not report it to the district, but to the STPD," Yannacone wrote. "We therefore do not know the identities of any potential victims, and we have no information regarding whether any of the purported victims are students of our schools currently or previously."
Yannacone also wrote that Degiacomo was employed by a substitute service in 2018-2019 with whom the district had a contract.
"The sub service provided all required safety clearances prior to his employment, as they do with every substitute who works in our schools," Yannacone wrote. "There were no complaints regarding his service as a substitute during the school year 2018-2019."
Police say they were unaware until Monday, June 3, of the previous issue in the Springfield Township School District.
Stewart Ryan, a former prosecutor and expert in sexual abuse cases, said all who work with children should report any concerns to police and allow law enforcement to determine if the actions are criminal.
Yannacone said the district notified Child Line about the concerns raised and the concerns didn't rise to the level to report to police.
"The spirit of the laws that are in place that require reporting of even suspicions of sexual abuse are there to ensure institutions...seek to protect children, not just be making a report to authorities but also notifying those authorities about where the potential predator may have access to children," Ryan said.
Springfield Township Police Detectives are asking for assistance in identifying any additional victims in this matter. Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Stephen Craig at (215)836-1601 x 1232.
Degiacomo has been arraigned and his bail was set at $500,000. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
