Local substitute teacher accused of asking for lewd photos

Towamencin Twp., Pa. (FOX 29) - Disturbing allegations against a substitute teacher in Montgomery County. He's accused of asking female students to send him lewd pictures.

"In those communications, they started kind of innocuous but then that was when some sexual-related content and context to the conversations," Towamencin Township Police Chief Tim Dickenson said.

Police say 28-year-old Stephen Catania, who taught diesel technology as a substitute at North Montco Technical Career Center, then asked the student for a photo of her in her underwear.

According to police, she tells him this is wrong and breaks off communication. Investigators say at one point he tells her to delete all the messages.

During their investigation, police say they verified the communications and then received information that another female student had a similar complaint last year.

"This teacher reportedly requested photographs from the student and offered that student $100 to provide those photographs," Chief Dickenson said.

Police say he is no longer working at the technical high school. Sources tell FOX 29 he got the students' phone numbers when he was a chaperone on a school trip.