Police are investigating after charging a longtime Delaware County middle school counselor and track and field coach with several counts of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Kevin Siegel, 46, of Garnet Valley, has been charged with 17 counts of possession of child pornography among other offenses.
Siegel was charged Nov. 15, 2024, and, according to court documents, he was apprehended after a tip found that he, allegedly, sent images depicting the sexual exploitation of children to himself through a secondary email address.
Court documents note the charges stem from an incident that happened on Oct. 8, 2024.
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Also, according to court documents, law enforcement officials claim they executed a search warrant at Siegel's home on Oct. 24, 2024,
While police were at his home, court documents claim the longtime middle school counselor allegedly told officers: "it was stupid. A moment of weakness. He wasn't thinking straight. He doesn't know why he did what he did. He learned from it. He will never do it again. It's embarrassing. It's not who he is. It's really bad. It doesn't even make sense to him."
When the officer claims they asked Siegel why, after more than two decades in a position of trust, he decided to take an interest in the materials he is alleged to have possessed, court documents claim, "Siegel could not answer."
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In a note to parents of children in the Penn-Delco School District, on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, district superintendent George Steinhoff acknowledged the charges Siegel is facing and noted that none of these offenses involve any current or former students in the district.
"Given our commitment to transparency and ongoing communication with the community, and as a result of the public release of a charging document, I am now able to share with deep concern that one of our middle school counselors, Mr. Siegel, has been charged with crimes related to the possession of child pornography," Steinhoff wrote in a letter to parents. "While the district is reminded that a document of charges is not a conviction, the nature of the charges alone are extremely troubling and upsetting. An immediate reaction from parents is understandably to question whether you have reason to worry about your child's interactions with our counselor. When I inquired about whether the district should be concerned about potential direct impact or involvement with any of our students, I was told that none of the alleged criminal activity occurred on school premises or involved any current or former students."
According to a school biography on Siegel, he served has served as an 8th grade counselor at Northley Middle School in Aston for 22 years.
"His door is always open to any 8th grade students," read the online biography for Siegel.
Online, Siegel was also said to have been the head coach for the middle school's track and field team, coach of the cross country team, advisor to the Environmental Club and an advisor for the school's TV studio.
In his letter to parents, Steinhoff said that Siegel was immediately removed from the workplace and placed on leave when the schools was advised that an investigation was going on into Siegel and before any charges had been filed.
Also, Steinhoff noted, just as none of these charges involve any current or former students in the district, none of the alleged offenses occurred on any district property, either.
Police officials said an investigation is ongoing and he is awaiting a preliminary hearing. Though, online court documents do not note a date for an upcoming court appearance for Siegel.
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