Upper Moreland School Instructor Charged With Child Pornography

UPPER MORELAND TOWNSHIP, PA —A former Upper Moreland School District employee who worked with students in the marching band has been charged with child pornography, police and school authorities announced Wednesday.

Douglas Penglase, 37, of Hatboro who worked at the Upper Moreland School District, has been arrested. The district said that as of Wednesday, he is no longer an employee.

Penglase was also working as a civilian in the Hatboro Borough Police Departmentat the time of the crime, police said there.

Details on how the child porn was discovered and linked to Penglase remain unclear.

In a statement to school families, the district said that Penglase's arrest was the first they learned of the incident and the first time they received any negative report about Penglase.

See the statement below from Schools Superintendent Sue Elliott:

"This morning, officials in the Upper Moreland School District were notified by the Upper Moreland Township Police Department that Upper Moreland High School Co-Curricular employee Douglas Penglase was arrested and charged federally with distribution of child pornography. This arrest was the first notification the District had regarding this alleged behavior," she said. "The Upper Moreland School District is cooperating fully with law enforcement. Pending the disposition of this matter. Mr. Penglase is no longer an employee. The families involved in the affected activities will be notified of plans for his replacement."

Penglase became a Co-Curricular employee in September 2020. He had no prior record that would have precluded his hiring.

"While we understand that this is an ongoing investigation, the District is not aware of any inappropriate interactions between Mr. Penglase and UMSD students or improper use of District network resources. Additionally, the District had not received any complaints or concerns from students or staff regarding his conduct," she said.

If any students, staff or families have relevant information regarding the allegations against Mr. Penglase, they are urged to share that information with law enforcement by contacting the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia victim services tipline at 215-606-5549.

Counselors at Upper Moreland High School will be available to students and staff who need support in light of this disturbing news.

UMSD will have no further comment on this case, given the ongoing federal investigation.