Wrestling Coach Charged with Child Porn Possession

By Theresa Katalinas

A 50-year-old Hatboro man who coaches youth and high school wrestling in Bucks County has been charged in connection with his alleged use of child pornography on the computer.

Thomas Scott Porter was arrested and charged with two felony counts of disseminating photo/film of child sex acts; 10 felony counts of child pornography; and two felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility. 

Porter is a youth wrestling coach for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Wrestling Team, which has practice facilities in Montgomery, Bucks and Chester counties. He is also an assistant wrestling coach at Neshaminy High School.

Porter was arraigned by Magisterial District Justice Paul N. Leo on Thursday. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 cash bail.

Authorities allege that after searching Porter’s desktop and laptop computers, more than 50 images of child pornography were found.

The Montgomery County Detective Bureau received information from the Philadelphia field office of the Department of Homeland Security Child Exploitation Unit on June 7 regarding a computer in Hatboro that was said to be participating in the distribution of child pornography, according to a press release issued by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

In October 2012, Homeland Security investigators received a tip that five child pornography images were uploaded from the email address “freestyler149@aim.com.” Authorities allege that Porter was the owner of that email address, and that the email address was accessed multiple times from an address in Hatboro. 

Investigators contacted Porter and met with him in person where he allegedly admitted to being the owner of “freestyler149@aim.com” and that he had viewed images of child pornography. 

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. before Judge Leo.