Prosecutors file petition to revoke bail of alleged child pornographer

WILKES-BARRE — Prosecutors filed a petition seeking to revoke bail for David J. Fortin, 37, who was recently released from jail while facing hundreds of counts of possessing child sexual materials.

Fortin, 37, of Snowden Street, Forty Fort, was arrested by Luzerne County detectives and West Hazleton police, members of the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, on Nov. 23.

Court records say a search warrant was served at his Forty Fort residence where detectives uncovered hundreds of videos and pictures of children engaged in sex acts, including a lengthy video of a youth being sexually tortured.

Several days after Fortin’s arrest, District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and detectives announced they were trying to determine whether any of the videos and pictures allegedly found contained victims from Luzerne County or if they were manufactured in Luzerne County.

Fortin is self-employed as owner of Fortin Academy of Music in Tamaqua, teaching private voice and music lessons to students. During his arraignment in November, Fortin denied he ever harmed or abused anyone.

Fortin spent several weeks at the county correctional facility until Jan. 10 when he posted $300,000 bail through a bail bondsman.

Prosecutors believe Fortin is in violation of several conditions of his bail imposed by District Judge David Barilla.

According to conditions of Fortin’s bail, he is not to have any electronic devices that connect to the internet, not to have any access to the internet, not to patronize any place where minors frequent, and must provide an address that is approved by the district attorney’s office prior to being released from jail.

Prosecutors allege Fortin is in violation of the address condition of his bail.

After being released, Fortin has been residing at a location in Tamaqua that has not been approved by the district attorney’s office, according to the petition.

Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. scheduled a hearing on the petition for Jan. 27.

Fortin is facing 500 counts of child pornography, 100 counts of dissemination of videos or photographs of children engaged in sex acts and two counts of criminal use of communication facility in county court.