Teacher accused of sex with minor
Cambria Heights’ Vescovi allegedly had relationship with female student
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PATTON -- A Cambria Heights High School teacher was arrested Monday by state police in Ebensburg for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student.
Isaac B. Vescovi, 29, of Patton, faces four felony counts of school - intercourse/sexual contact with a student, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility and unlawful contact with a minor.
Vescovi was arraigned Monday night before Magisterial District Judge Kevin J. Price. He was remanded to the Cambria County Prison and posted 10% of $300,000 bail Tuesday.
An investigation began Friday when police received a ChildLine report from the district alleging there was a "rumor" of an inappropriate relationship between Vescovi and a 17-year-old female student.
In an interview with state police Monday, the victim stated the relationship began in spring 2023 when she was a sophomore student in Vescovi's homeroom class, according to the affidavit of probable cause, which states Vescovi was also the victim's basketball coach.
The two allegedly began communicating through the school's email system and later communicated through texts and Snapchat messages after Vescovi reportedly asked for her Snapchat username, according to court documents. The conversations became sexual in nature, and they exchanged explicit photos of each other, the affidavit states.
The victim told police she visited Vescovi's house in Patton "a handful of times" throughout the summer of 2023 and they would occasionally meet in Altoona. During one of the visits, they had sexual intercourse, she told police. According to the affidavit, the relationship stopped for a while but they began communicating again in January.
The affidavit states Vescovi allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim twice and exchanged more than 4,000 text messages over the summer.
The victim told police she discussed the relationship with Vescovi, who mentioned self-harm if he were to get in trouble because of their "inappropriate relationship," the affidavit states.
In light of the situation, the Cambria Heights School District has removed Vescovi from the high school's staff directory on its website.
Superintendent Ken Kerchenske said Vescovi will remain on administrative leave until the investigation is complete.
"The district will take some action, but (school board members) need to wait for more results from this investigation," Kerchenske said.
Vescovi is scheduled to appear in front of Price for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 15, according to court documents.