Joseph Ohrt, M/56, of Buckingham, PA, was arrested today on the above charges following an investigation by CBRPD, in conjunction with the Bucks County Detectives. This has been an ongoing investigation since May 2021.  Simultaneous with the arrest, a search warrant was executed at Ohrt’s home for additional evidentiary materials.

The arrest stems from a video recording, taken by Ohrt without consent, of a former high school male student who graduated in 2016 and was a choir student in Ohrt’s class at CB West. Ohrt had mentored the victim in composing music during his junior year in high school followed by monthly visits to Ohrt’s home. The victim resided with Ohrt while attending college. The recording took place in the guest bedroom of Orht’s home.

In October 2021, a second male who resided at Ohrt’s home, provided CBRPD with property, including a laptop, that Ohrt instructed him to destroy in a “nonpublic manner.” Police found four hidden camera devices with two SD cards among the property delivered. The recordings from the SD cards were of the victim in the guest room of Ohrt's home; the above charges are a direct result of those recordings. The laptop has been analyzed by the FBI’s Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory and, despite Ohrt’s attempt to destroy the laptop by soaking it in water, it produced evidence that is pending further analysis.

Ohrt was arraigned, bail set at $50,000, 10%, with restrictions and remanded to Bucks County Prison.

If you have any information related to this case or believe you or someone you know may be a victim, you are encouraged to contact Det Sgt Paul Kreuter at 215-345-4143, pkreuter@cbrpd.net, or submit a tip anonymously by clicking the link below.

Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.