Former Central Bucks Music Director To See Trial On All Misconduct Charges

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Central Bucks High School West's former music director will see trial on charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office confirmed.

Joseph Ohrt waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges Monday, the DA's office told Patch.

The DA's office said in March that it had received reports of molestation against elementary-aged students dating back to 1991 and 1995.

A complaint the DA's office received in 2021 about Ohrt and a former student prompted an investigation by Central Bucks Regional Police Department. The DA's office said Ohrt then asked a young man living at his house to destroy recording devices and a laptop.

That young man then turned these devices over to the Central Bucks Regional Police, leading to Ohrt's Feb. 8 arrest, the DA's office said.

"A forensic analysis of those devices revealed that Ohrt was secretly recording the same purported victim as from the 2016 report, in the nude, and without his permission," the DA's office said. "The victim had no idea of the recordings until they were received and reviewed by police. The recordings happened after the 2016 ChildLine allegations were investigated and deemed unfounded due to insufficient evidence."

He waived his right to the charges in this investigation in April. He is currently out of custody on conditional bail, according to the Bucks County Courier Times.

Evidence in the DA's investigation and statements from former students suggest misconduct allegations against Ohrt had been circling for years.

Ohrt began teaching in the district in 1987. Per the DA's news release in March, an 11-year-old student of his (called "John" in the criminal complaint) told a Linden Elementary School principal and guidance counselor that the choir teacher had touched him inappropriately in 1991.

Ohrt was then moved to teach at the high school level, the DA said. "John" said Ohrt would call him a "rat" when they'd later cross paths at Central Bucks West.

Then in 1995, the news release detailed, Ohrt reportedly touched 13-year-old "Jack" inappropriately while he was babysitting at the choir teacher's house.

"As far as ... why Ohrt was relocated to another school, that would be something that you would probably have to ask the school district," a spokesperson for the DA's office told Patch.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Central Bucks School District did not address this reshuffling, referring instead to a public statement by superintendent Abram Lucabaugh and directing further questions to law enforcement.

Superintendent Lucabaugh's statement to the Central Bucks community focused primarily on district healing.

"This latest revelation is disturbing and incredibly saddening, not only for the individuals and families involved, but for the entire Central Bucks community," Lucabaugh said. "For those who work on behalf of the children of this community, it is particularly upsetting, as the care of our almost 18,000 students is our most sacred obligation."

He added, "Incidents like this engender many emotions, and it is entirely possible for this latest announcement to induce trauma or other emotional responses; therefore, if at any point your child expresses concern or is struggling, we encourage families to seek assistance from their school counselors, or by making use of any of the resources on our website."

The DA's office said Central Bucks has been cooperating thoroughly with the investigation.

Lucabaugh and the DA's office also encouraged those with further information to come forward by submitting an anonymous tip online or by contacting Detective Paul Kreuter at (215) 345-4143 or Detective Greg Biedler at (215) 340-8216.

Ohrt will go to trial on two counts each of indecent assault and corruption of minors, as well as felony charges of interception, disclosure, or use of wire, electronic or oral communications and possession, sale, distribution, manufacture, or advertisement of electronic, mechanical, or other devices and telecommunication identification interception devices; and misdemeanor charges of invasion of privacy and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

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