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Former C-K janitor gets time to challenge charges

Colpetzer faces child porn counts

By Kay Stephens 2 min read

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The former Claysburg-Kimmel School District janitor charged with multiple counts of possessing child pornography and corruption of minors has an additional 60 days to consider legal challenges to the charges.

Ethan Ray Colpetzer, 31, an inmate at the Blair County Prison, was transported Friday to the Courthouse for a hearing where defense attorney Thomas Dickey was scheduled to raise challenges.

That hearing, however, was canceled after Dickey and First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith met with Judge Fred B. Miller, who said he would grant time for further review of the evidence.

Miller also set a deadline of 60 days for Dickey to consider refiling his motion to contest Colpetzer's charges or to present the court with new challenges.

Online records show Colpetzer has been in the county prison since his March 7, 2023, arrest, with his bail set at $100,000 cash.

Greenfield Township police charged Colpetzer after working with the school district's security officer, state police and the district attorney's office to identify who was leaving candy, gifts and notes for an 11-year-old female student.

After identifying Colpetzer, then a school janitor, police pursued a search warrant to review his cellphone and found numerous photos deemed to meet the definition of child pornography.

That resulted in 74 second-degree felony counts of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony count of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony count of design/copy obscene materials and one third-degree felony count of corruption of minors.

In documents to support the criminal charges, police said Colpetzer admitted to saving some of the images from the internet and to being provided with other images via various web pages.

When Colpetzer was arrested, then school district Superintendent Mark Loucks indicated that Colpetzer had been placed on leave.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay

Stephens is at 814-946-7456.

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