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WILKES-BARRE — Surveillance cameras, timing and an investigation delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic were focused on the second day in the Luzerne County jury trial of former Crestwood band director Theron Roberts, charged with groping a female band student in 2019.
And, despite efforts to keep the jury from seeing the woman’s service dog, several jurors exited the courthouse with the canine.
Wright Township police Sergeant Scott Rozitski said he was unable to retrieve surveillance footage of the alleged buttocks grab outside the high school’s band room due to cameras recording over existing footage.
Rozitski said the female student, then 14, did not disclose Roberts, 41, allegedly grabbed her buttocks until Feb. 20, 2020, nearly four months after it happened in an alcove area outside the band room in October 2019.
Rozitski said surveillance cameras at the high school record over saved recordings every 30 days.
As he testified upon questions from Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger who, along with Deputy Attorney General Julia Jacobs Van Leeuwan are prosecuting, Rozitski provided a timeline of the investigation.
Rozitski said he first questioned the female student, now 19, in November 2019, but she did not disclose about the alleged buttocks grab.
It wasn’t until Attorney Jack Dean, solicitor for the Crestwood School District, contacted Rozitski on Feb. 10, 2020, about the female student’s allegations she was inappropriately grabbed on her buttocks by Roberts.
Rozitski said the girl was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children’s Advocacy Center on Feb. 24, 2020.
Rozitski further said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the investigation that passed through five assistant district attorneys within the Luzerne County district attorney’s office until the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office accepted the case.
Upon questions from Roberts’ attorney, Frank Nocito, Rozitski said the girl called him in October 2021, wanting to pursue a criminal case against Roberts.
“About two years after this alleged butt grab?” Nocito asked, in which, Rozitski replied, “Yes.”
Eichelberger and Van Leeuwan rested their case-in-chief against Roberts late Thursday afternoon.
Nocito said he has several witnesses, perhaps Roberts, to testify.
In another issue outside the courtroom, efforts were made to keep the jury from observing the girl’s service dog that has been in the courtroom. Several jurors exited the courthouse for lunch just before 12 p.m. Thursday at the same time the girl and her service dog exited the courthouse.
Roberts, who was terminated from Crestwood in 2020, is charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and two counts of indecent assault.