Three W. Rockhill special ed faculty went on leave w/ no school board vote – Bucks Round-Up – July 24, 2025
Three W. Rockhill special ed faculty went on leave w/ no apparent board vote
In April, three West Rockhill Elementary special education teachers went on leave despite no Pennridge School Board votes being taken regarding those employees. Their work status with the district is unknown at this point. A provision of the teachers union contract seemingly permits Superintendent Angelo Berrios to effect leave for teachers without school board action, though it is not clear if that’s what led to these three leaves. The teachers include Jessica Bergey who has been charged with simple assault and child endangerment in connection with alleged use of an illegal restraint.
Kentucky man accused of sex trafficking Bucks girl in custody
29-year-old Zachary McCauley of Louisville was extradited to Bucks County Tuesday evening in connection with allegedly sex trafficking a 13-year girl from Bucks County. McCauley, according to Bucks County District Attorney, Jennifer Schorn, communicated with the girl online, grooming and coercing her into sending him lurid photos of herself and then pressuring her into creating a page on an online dating site where he then sought out two men through the site to pay him for sexual encounters with the girl in October of last year. The two men, from Buckingham Township and Coopersburg, are awaiting trial. McCauley is being held on 10 million dollars bail in the Bucks County Correctional facility on a list of charges including sexual exploitation of children and solicitation to commit statutory sexual assault.
Middletown Township reports robust surplus amid rising costs
Middletown Township’s second quarter review was presented to the Board of Supervisors by the township’s director of finance, Laura Hucklebridge. “For the month of June,” she said, “we can see that expenses continue to go up and revenues will only grow a little bit more.” Hucklebridge added, while a slight deficit was budgeted in the beginning of the year, the township still has a surplus of $10.4 million dollars.
Bensalem Police accuse New Jersey man on charges of trying meet teen for sex
Bensalem Township Police say Steven Patras, 65, of Hainesport began a conversation on a social media app with what he thought was a thirteen-year-old girl. The conversations, according to Bensalem Township Police, advanced to a sexual and romantic nature as he allegedly asked her things about her sexual history, bra size, and if she had pubic hair. He then described in full detail about the numerous sex acts he wanted to perform on the child when they met. The interaction went on through June, where he then sent the 13-year-old explicit photographs of himself and also asked her to send him similar photos of herself. He told her that he would purchase lingerie for her and asked for her measurements. Patras told the juvenile that he was going to drive to her home in Bensalem on June 12, 2025, for a sexual get-together with her. Patras then canceled that meeting. Before he could meet the juvenile in Bensalem, he was apprehended on June 30 by investigators from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey for similar offenses. During his arrest, his cell phone was confiscated, and the two months of messages with the Bensalem child were revealed on that device. Patras was taken to prison in New Jersey. Bensalem Police then secured an arrest warrant and lodged it as a detainer, which held him in jail until his extradition to Pennsylvania could be arranged. On July 22, deputies from the Bucks County Sheriff’s Department transported Patras to the Bensalem Township Police Department. The suspect was charged with attempted sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with a minor, and related offenses. He was arraigned by District Justice Michael Gallagher and remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of $2,000,000 bail.
Joe LeCompte hosts LeCompte in the Morning on WBCB 1490. Bradley Vasoli is the senior editor of The Independence.
