Teacher accused of filming boys in locker room did same at other schools, PA cops say
A student teacher accused of secretly filming boys in a locker room was found to have recordings of similar activity at other schools, Pennsylvania police say.
Now, 34-year-old Samuel Elliot Fischer faces dozens of charges following the allegations that began in 2014, according to a Pennsylvania State Police news release.
Fischer was employed as a student teacher at Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown for only a few days in 2023 when he was caught by a student filming members of the wrestling team as they showered, according to an affidavit obtained by WPVI.
“Are you recording?” replied the student, who saw a phone sticking out of Fischer’s back pocket, WPVI reported.
In a statement to families obtained by WCAU, the school district’s superintendent, Will Stout, said Fischer was not an official employee of the school. He was removed from the district when the allegations surfaced.
As authorities began investigating Fischer following the 2023 incident, they learned he “engaged in similar behavior while working as an athletic trainer at Pine-Richland School District in Allegheny County between 2014-2019,” state police said.
He was found to have recordings of students in the locker room or bathroom at Pine-Richland High School and Pine-Richland Middle School, according to state police.
Thumb drives in Fischer’s possession included files containing photos and videos of students “in various states of undress,” according to court documents obtained by TribLive.com.
Pine-Richland officials said Fischer was hired through a third-party contractor, KDKA reported. The district said it was unaware about Fischer’s alleged conduct until it was notified by state police.
Court records show Fischer faces 35 charges, including 10 counts of child pornography. Other charges include sexual abuse of children and invasion of privacy.
His attorney told WCAU that Fischer voluntarily surrendered Jan. 3. He said Fischer has “never had any inappropriate physical contact with anyone” and has had no contact with minors.
This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Teacher accused of filming boys in locker room did same at other schools, PA cops say."