UPPER MORELAND TOWNSHIP, PA - Authorities have announced that a man who was employed by the Upper Moreland School District in Montgomery County is now facing federal charges on child pornography.
According to 6ABC, the individual has been identified as 37-year-old Douglas Penglase and he was arrested on Tuesday, March 11th. He has been charged with distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography. Penglase was also a civilian employee of the Hatboro Police Department. He has since been let go from both positions.
The investigation began after the social media platform Kik reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user was using the platform to transmit child porn. Investigators then obtained a search warrant to examine the alleged content. That search recovered hundreds of files.
The files depicted some children who appeared to be toddlers, while others are believed to be between 8 and 12 years old. On Wednesday, March 12th, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said that there were also more than one thousand messages between Penglase and other Kik users.
The school district said that it was notified on Wednesday morning about Penglase's arrest. School officials said that he worked as a co-curricular employee for Upper Moreland High School. He was the percussion head with the high school's marching band.
In a statement, Superintendent Sue Elliot said that Penglase was hired in 2020 and had no prior record that would have precluded his hiring. Elliot said that the district is not aware of any inappropriate interactions between Penglase and students, nor are they aware of any improper use of the school district's network.
She said, "The District had not received any complaints or concerns from students or staff regarding his conduct." NBC10 reported that during the search of his home, Penglase was asked by investigators about the contents of a specific video that he has been accused of sharing online.
Court documents state that when he was asked to describe the contents of the video that depicted child pornography, police claim that Penglase explained what happens in the video and told investigators that "it was ingrained in his brain because he knew that it was wrong, and that it was one of the more shocking videos."
If convicted, Penglase faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Investigators said the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Elliot advised any students, staff, or families who may have relevant information regarding the allegations against Penglase, to contact the Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia victim services tip line at 215-606-5549. The investigation remains ongoing.
According to 6ABC, the individual has been identified as 37-year-old Douglas Penglase and he was arrested on Tuesday, March 11th. He has been charged with distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography. Penglase was also a civilian employee of the Hatboro Police Department. He has since been let go from both positions.
The investigation began after the social media platform Kik reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user was using the platform to transmit child porn. Investigators then obtained a search warrant to examine the alleged content. That search recovered hundreds of files.
The files depicted some children who appeared to be toddlers, while others are believed to be between 8 and 12 years old. On Wednesday, March 12th, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said that there were also more than one thousand messages between Penglase and other Kik users.
The school district said that it was notified on Wednesday morning about Penglase's arrest. School officials said that he worked as a co-curricular employee for Upper Moreland High School. He was the percussion head with the high school's marching band.
In a statement, Superintendent Sue Elliot said that Penglase was hired in 2020 and had no prior record that would have precluded his hiring. Elliot said that the district is not aware of any inappropriate interactions between Penglase and students, nor are they aware of any improper use of the school district's network.
She said, "The District had not received any complaints or concerns from students or staff regarding his conduct." NBC10 reported that during the search of his home, Penglase was asked by investigators about the contents of a specific video that he has been accused of sharing online.
Court documents state that when he was asked to describe the contents of the video that depicted child pornography, police claim that Penglase explained what happens in the video and told investigators that "it was ingrained in his brain because he knew that it was wrong, and that it was one of the more shocking videos."
If convicted, Penglase faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Investigators said the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Elliot advised any students, staff, or families who may have relevant information regarding the allegations against Penglase, to contact the Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia victim services tip line at 215-606-5549. The investigation remains ongoing.
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Comments
2025-03-14T18:25-0400 | Comment by: James
I bet he was sharing it with the local chabad and some of the judges and attorneys and pigs .... You didn't think they loose that stuff did you ????