Delco principal pleads guilty in child porn

A Delaware County middle school principal pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to owning as many as 300 pornographic images of children.

Troy Czukoski, 42, of Exton, faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Legrome D. Davis scheduled a sentencing hearing for Aug. 12.

Czukoski had been principal at Springton Lake Middle School for about 14 weeks when the Rose Tree Media School District learned that federal authorities were investigating him. He was removed from the post until the probe was complete and never returned.

"He really was not here long enough to have any impression" of him, Superintendent James Wigo Sr. said Friday. "We absolutely believe that our kids were not in danger."

In May 2011, federal authorities searched a movie production company that also had an online business selling DVDs and streaming videos. Most of the videos were of young boys, and, a court document says, were marketed as "naturist films from around the world."

Czukoski's name appeared in the company's records as having placed 13 orders for 49 DVDs and CDs between November 2008 and January 2011. When agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service searched his home in October 2011, they found two flash drives and CDs and DVDs that contained "more than 150 but less than 300 images of adolescent boys in bathing suits, underwear, and nude, as well as lascivious images of the boys naked."

His attempt to plead guilty last month was rebuffed by Davis, who was skeptical then that Czukoski understood the seriousness of his crime.

Czukoski's attorney could not be reached for comment. Czukoski will have to report his home and work addresses to authorities as part of the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.