FAIRMOUNT TWP, LUZERNE CO, (WOLF) — An area gymnastics coach was charged Thursday on allegations he possessed and shared child sexual abuse materials.
54-year-old Andrew P. Neafie of Fairmount Township was arrested on 1,000 counts of possession of child pornography, eight counts of dissemination of photographs or film, and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
These charges come after several Cybertips generated from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Luzerne County District Attorney, Sam Sanguedolce, says that Neafie was a gymnastics coach for thirty-four years, teaching children ages eight through eighteen.
“We are aware that Mr. Neafie was an instructor at a local gymnastics center and had also previously worked in Palmyra, Annapolis Maryland, and central Kentucky" says Sanguedolce.
The Microsoft corporation began to send cybertips of when an IP address with disturbing files were uploaded, viewed, and or disseminated. Those began back in November:
- 11/5/22 at 2:52:04
- 11/5/22 at 2:52:54
- 11/5/22 at 2:53
- 11/26/22 at 11:43
- 11/26/22 at 11:46
- 11/27/22 at 7:56:24
- 11/27/22 at 7:56:31
- 12/12/22
Investigators determined that the cybertips did contain child sexual abuse material. According to the criminal complaint, many young girls were shown in videos or still images, with their genitals and buttocks exposed and some facing the camera.
When authorities questioned Neafie, he said that he “clicks through” images he may come across but says its “tough to guess their age”
DA Sanguedolce says that this type of activity is sadly common.
“It is extremely upsetting, but I should say, unfortunately it is not unusual. When we execute search warrants, these items are stored digitally in a form of mass media and it is not infrequent that we encounter hundreds and hundreds of images” said DA Sanguedolce.
Investigators were able to find images on Neafie's computer who told them that he wasn’t aware it was illegal and that he finds younger “fit” females attractive and would sometimes pleasure himself to the images.
Neafie is currently behind bars at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and is awaiting a preliminary hearing on May 2nd.
Original Story:
A local gymnastics teacher is facing over 1000 felony child sex abuse charges following a months-long investigation in Luzerne County.
In December 2022 and January 2023, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office received information about the potential download of child pornography. A Detective West Hazleton Police Department, who is also a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, confirmed the information and on Thursday.
The District Attorney’s Office requested the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Northeast Computer Crime Task Force (NECCTF) to assist in a search warrant for the residence of a local gymnastics instructor, Andrew P. Neafie, of Heller Road in Fairmount Township, Luzerne County.
During the search, officials say they found thousands of files containing child pornography on Neafie’s devices.
He was charged with 1008 Felony Counts of Sexual Abuse of Children and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility. He is being held at the county prison $200,000 straight cash bail.
Detectives are currently investigating the potential abuse of children by this defendant. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Charles Balogh at the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office (570-825-1674).
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