A former music teacher at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts had hundreds of sexually explicit images of teenage girls on his cell phone, according to federal court papers filed Thursday.
David S. Golden was charged with possession of child pornography after the father of a 12-year-old Florida girl discovered an inappropriate online communication she had with Golden on her phone, police said.
The 64-year-old Bethlehem man admitted he regularly contacted underage girls through the social media app Kik, which allows users to maintain their anonymity, according to court records.
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts Bill Adams
Golden asked the girl to send him explicit photos and videos and he sent the girl a photo of his private parts, court records say. The father discovered sexually explicit online communications between his daughter and Golden in October and November and reported them to law enforcement in January.
Golden used the alias “Don Hine” and told the girl he was 18, records say.
Police tracked the communication back to an internet protocol address subscribed to through the Arts Academy Middle School in Salisbury Township.
Thomas Lubben, who founded the charter arts high school in Bethlehem and the charter arts middle school, confirmed that Golden used to teach at the high school and was the middle school’s facilities manager at the time he was charged.
Middle school executive director William Fitzpatrick said Golden is suspended indefinitely and his security access to the school was immediately removed.
“What he’s accused of is so repugnant to me,” Fitzpatrick said, adding. “There’s no place for any kind of behavior like that in our school.”
He said Golden apparently used the school wifi to transmit sexually explicit messages on his cell phone. Fitzpatrick said it’s unclear whether any of the victims attend the middle school. He briefed teachers on Friday and gave them instructions on how victims could seek counseling and to report abuse immediately.
“The students here will be protected to the fullest extend we can,” he said.
Police spoke with Golden at his home Thursday, when he admitted he used Kik to reach out to girls ages 15 to 16 and admitted to having hundreds of sexually explicit communications on the app.
16 people who took funds raised by children, for children
An iPhone found in Golden’s dresser drawer had hundreds of sexually explicit image of young girls, the court papers say.
A listed phone number for Golden’s home was disconnected.
Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
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