Former Primos Elementary principal charged with indecent assault

[ad_1]

UPPER DARBY – A former Primos Elementary School principal has been arrested and charged with indecent assault and other offenses following new allegations into his conduct.

Friday afternoon police arrested and arraigned Jonathan Wisneski, 43, a former Upper Darby School District Principal at Primos Elementary School.

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said the suspect hasn’t been a principal in more than three years.

In 2018, allegations were made about Wisneski and were investigated by the Delaware County District Attorney’s office, Upper Darby Township Police Department and the school district, but no charges were brought at that time.

“In the past week, new allegations, new information has come to our attention,” Bernhardt said. “Our detective unit, our special investigation unit (who) work hand in hand with the school district every day, did some forensic interviews of a victim and through those interviews, we are now bringing charges against Mr. Wisneski.”

Bernhardt said there is one victim at this time and the allegations are similar to those made in 2018.

County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said forensic interviews are a system that allows children to be interviewed without having to relive the event multiple times.

Jonathan Wisneski

“Law enforcement is present, is able to use that interview within the proceedings,” Stollsteimer said. “Prosecutors can [listen in, but] they are not in the room as the child is being interviewed. It is by far the best practice.”

Bernhardt stated the investigation is ongoing and asked parents to have the difficult conversation with their children who may have gone to Primos Elementary to see if there are any other victims out there. If there are, the parents should contact the police.

“I’m kind of heartbroken to be here today,” said Upper Darby School District Superintendent Dr. Dan McGarry.

The district cooperates with police and state agencies involved and will provide support services to staff and students; a communication would be going out to parents and guardians.

McGarry said at the time of the original allegations, the district investigated to the fullest extent but there were no criminal charges made.

Following those allegations in 2018, the school district moved towards a process of separation. Wisneski was principal at Primos for two years; before that he taught in two other district schools.

Wisneski currently works for Devereux CARES School in Downingtown, Chester County.

“We’re having a press conference now because we had to arrest this individual off the street and away from children,” Stollesteimer said. “There may be more people coming forward – often that is the case. This is an active investigation, we can’t give much more details than that.”

The charges include institutional sexual assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child.

Stollsteimer called the arrest as a great collaborative work between Upper Darby police, the school district and the county child advocacy center which did a forensic interview of individuals who came forward to the Upper Darby police and they were able to make the case based on those interviews .

When asked why charges had not been brought in 2018, Stollsteimer said police can only bring charges when they have allegations that are credible and the victim is able to give statements that are evidence of a crime. That didn’t exist in 2018 but officials are committed whenever a child comes forward and the fact that they have followed through years later is proof of that.

“In Delaware County, we have no tolerance for people who prey on our children,” Stollsteimer said. “We will hunt you down and we will bring you to justice. We are going to make sure that anyone, especially someone who is given a position of trust, not just a teacher but a principal in an elementary school preying on our school children.”

[ad_2]