Saint Thomas Aquinas High School choir director facing new child sex crime charges
The choir director of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park faces new sex crime charges related to earlier accusations of secretly filming children and possessing sexually explicit visual content.
Joseph Martin Heidesch, 45, was charged with two additional felonies of child sexual exploitation in Johnson County District Court on Monday, court records show. He is accused of promoting or distributing sexually explicit content depicting a child under 18 years of age in May and June of this year.
A defense attorney representing Heidesch did not immediately reply to The Star’s request for comment late Monday afternoon.
The charges come in addition to four other felony sex crimes involving children that were announced by Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe last month. Heidesch remains in Johnson County jail on $250,000 bond. He was arrested Oct. 6 following an investigation led by the Shawnee Police Department.
In court documents filed last month, Heidesch is accused of possessing a “visual depiction” of a child under the age of 18 who was shown or heard engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He is also accused of installing or using a concealed camera to secretly record two victims in a state of undress without their knowledge.
The crimes allegedly took place between January 2019 and September of this year.
Shortly after the criminal accusations first came to light, the Catholic high school’s administration sent a letter to parents saying Heidesch had been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.
“With this type of news, it is important to assure our students their safety and well-being are our top priority,” the statement said. “We encourage you to take this opportunity to talk with your children and allow them to process the information in a safe and supportive environment.”
In mid-October, Johnson County District Judge Michael Joyce ordered the affidavit used to bring criminal charges against Heidesch should be sealed. That decision followed a motion brought by Johnson County prosecutors to keep the document sealed on the grounds that its release could jeopardize the investigation or harm victims.
The Star’s Anna Spoerre and Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this report.
