WILKES-BARRE - Convicted child pornographer Joseph James Ostrowski faced a judge for the first time Thursday afternoon on charges that he molested a football player while coaching at Holy Redeemer High School.
Mr. Ostrowski, 29, of 76 Vulcan St., Wilkes-Barre, declined to comment as lawmen led him to his appointment with Magisterial District Judge Martin R. Kane, who set bail at $50,000 on the state charges of indecent assault on a person under 16, corruption of minors and photographing a child sex act.
But the bail will matter little for Mr. Ostrowski, who remains in federal custody pending sentencing on federal charges of producing child pornography, interstate extortion and cyber-stalking. Under a plea agreement, federal prosecutors will recommend he serve 25 years in prison in what they termed a far-reaching "sextortion" case with victims in at least 14 states.
Prosecutors said Mr. Ostrowski created fake identities to coax underage victims into sending him pornographic pictures of themselves, which he then used to blackmail them for more images.
Investigators learned Mr. Ostrowski may have molested one of his players during their probe into his online activities.
"We actually had an individual who actually came forward that he was molested by Mr. Ostrowski," Luzerne County Detective Chaz Balogh said.
The FBI, which investigated the computer crimes, reported the alleged assault to county detectives in January.
The 13-year-old boy told them that he was weightlifting after school one day when Mr. Ostrowski lured him into the coach's locker room, locked the door and then fondled his genitals. Mr. Ostrowski also took nude photos of the boy with his cellphone, according to the charges filed Wednesday.
No other victims have come forward, but anyone with information on the case should contact the district attorney's office, Detective Balogh said.
Mr. Ostrowski was head coach at Holy Redeemer during the 2011 football season. The Diocese of Scranton fired him after federal agents arrested him in the school weight room last May.
Contact the writer: jhalpin@citizensvoice.com