School resource officer sexually assaulted 14-year-old on and off campus, PA cops say
A former school resource officer is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old middle school student, Pennsylvania police said.
Costas Alestas, 43, of Easton, was an officer with the City of Bethlehem Police Department and assigned as the school resource officer at East Hills Middle School, where he worked for six years, the department said in a May 15 news conference provided by WFMZ.
An investigation into Alestas began on May 1 when the Bethlehem Area School District contacted law enforcement to report possible inappropriate contact between the officer and a student, according to Bethlehem police.
“The Bethlehem Area School District became aware of allegations related to Officer Alestas on the afternoon of Monday, April 29, 2024, when a student shared information with their guidance counselor,” the district said in a statement on its website.
The investigation revealed Alestas had been communicating with the student since January, when he provided her with his personal cell phone number, according to police.
When the victim’s mother discovered text messages on her phone from Alestas, he started using a second phone number to communicate with the student, police said.
The conversations included talk of “engaging in sexual acts,” which escalated into sexual encounters, police said.
The victim told investigators these encounters would happen in school during the school day or school events, including a school dance, as well as in Alestas’ personal vehicle outside school hours, authorities said.
Alestas is accused of kissing, groping and having the student strip nude in his office at school, WCAU reported, citing court documents.
Police said they also discovered an “upskirt” video on Alestas’ personal phone of an 11-year-old student’s “private area” taken inside the school without her knowledge as she walked down the hallway.
Alestas was terminated from the Bethlehem Police Department following the investigation, Chief Michelle Kott said.
Alestas was charged on May 15 with statutory sexual assault, institutional sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, criminal use of a communication facility and invasion of privacy, according to police.
“My client and his family would ask that the public please respect their privacy during this ongoing investigation,” Alestas’ attorney George S. Nassif told McClatchy News. “Costas enjoys the presumption of innocence and has entered a not-guilty plea at this time.”
Bail was set at $500,000, court records show.
Police said there may be other victims and encourage anyone with additional information to call 610-865-7000 or emailbethlehempolice@bethlehem-pa.gov.
