A longtime Montgomery Elementary physical education teacher and Pennbrook Middle School wrestling coach is being held without bail after Upper Gwynedd Township Police arrested him this weekend on felony charges alleging he sexually abused at least three minors over several years. Jason Theodore, 54, was taken into custody on Friday following an investigation that began September 9, when an adult victim reported being sexually abused starting in 2019 at age 13.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Upper Gwynedd Township Police Chief David Duffy announced felony charges against Theodore including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, and unlawful contact with a minor, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Prosecutors said Theodore had not retained defense counsel at the time charges were announced, and he remains held in custody without bail. As CBS News Philadelphia reported, the criminal charges involve sexual contact with at least three victims ranging in age from 13 to 16.
Grooming Allegedly Began Online, Under a Fake Name
Police affidavits described how Theodore allegedly met victims on Snapchat and in online chatrooms using aliases such as “John,” lying about his age while soliciting sexually explicit material and providing victims with alcohol and marijuana, according to Daily Voice. Theodore was placed on administrative leave immediately after police notified the school district, per the same account.
One of the three alleged victims recognized Theodore as his former elementary physical education teacher and wrestling coach only after getting into Theodore's Jeep in a Montgomery Township parking lot in August 2022 — even though the online contact had reportedly begun after that student had already left his class, the outlet's report notes. Court records indicate the alleged sexual encounters occurred across multiple municipalities in Montgomery County and in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood between 2019 and 2023, allegedly happening weekly or biweekly over several years, per the same account.
A Coach Known to Thousands of Local Families
Beyond his classroom and wrestling mat duties, Theodore organized the districtwide IRONKnights Elementary Triathlon, an annual event drawing nearly 1,800 families across 13 elementary schools, according to The Knight Crier. He also coached youth hockey. In 2017, Theodore was recognized with the North Penn School District Superintendent's Honor Roll Award for service to the school community, according to the district's own annual reporting.
North Penn School District Superintendent Todd M. Bauer informed families on Friday that law enforcement found no evidence that any acts took place on school grounds, according to a North Penn School District announcement. Even so, the district made counseling resources available across multiple campuses, deploying counselors to Montgomery Elementary, Pennbrook Middle School, and North Penn High School.
Police Seek Additional Information
Upper Gwynedd Township Police have publicly asked anyone with additional information or potential leads to contact Sergeant Bob Pro or Detective Dana Hallam, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. Investigators say they continue to examine the full scope of Theodore's online contacts, leaving open the possibility that more victims could come forward.
The case follows a pattern of child sex crime prosecutions tied to school personnel in Montgomery County. Under Pennsylvania's Act 126, school employees in direct contact with children are designated mandatory reporters, required to complete abuse training and report suspected child abuse immediately to state and local authorities. It remains unclear whether additional victims will emerge or how preliminary court hearings will proceed while Theodore remains held without bail. The allegations outlined in law enforcement affidavits remain unproven charges in a court of law.
